Rare pamphlet on the victory of Don Jorge de Mendoça Passaña (died 1636), governor of Ceuta, over the forces of Cacis Cid Mahamet Laex on June 7, 1629. At this time, the border region between Morocco and the Iberian Union was a heavily contested zone, with constant friction between the sultanate and the Iberian garrisons. The Moor leader Laex and his troops were one of the groups that had been causing difficulties. They had been roaming the border region for over a year, regularly attacking the fortified towns of Ceuta, Larache, Tangier, and Mamora (present day Mehdya). When Laex was stationed outside Ceuta, Mendoça Passaña knew that he would have to try something different. As he was heavily outnumbered, with only 750 troops to Laex' 7000, he set a trap. He left the city to look for Laex, but ordered 600 soldiers to be stationed in newly dug trenches. When a small group of Laex' troops spotted him, he rode back to the city, leading them into the trenches, where they were quickly killed. Unfortunately, Laex caught on to the ruse before it could be repeated, and attacked in full, quickly filling the trenches. However, Mendoça Passaña had been prepared for this, and making smart use of his artillery and cavalry, he was able to reduce the enemy forces significantly, until Laex was forced to retreat.
The present pamphlet offers a contemporary account of Mendoça Passaña's remarkable victory, giving insight into 17th-century Iberian military tactics. It was simultaneously printed in Sevilla and Lisbon as well as in Madrid by both Bernardo de Guzman and Juan Gonçalez. A second Guzman issue is also known, with the year of publication mentioned. The present issue, however, is the scarcest, with only one other copy recorded.
With manuscript foliation in the upper right hand corner, several corrections between the lines, and handwritten mathematical divisions in the margins of the final page. The leaves are somewhat stained and torn, the head margin has been cut somewhat short, without loss of text, the lower corner of the final leaf is folded. Otherwise in good condition. Catálogo colectivo del patrimonio bibliográfico CCPB001384676-0; Iberian books 56073; USTC 5011155 (1 copy); WorldCat 1089213666 (1 copy, BnE); cf. Palau 257938 (other issue).