First and only edition of a very detailed history of the Franciscan mission in Morocco, by Francisco de Jesus Maria de San Juan del Puerto (active ca. 1700-1725). The Franciscans arrived in Marrakesh already in 1220 when Saint Berard of Carbio and four other Franciscans were martyred by Moslems in Marrakesh. The present history presents many biographies of Franciscan martyrs at the hands of Moroccan Moslems through the ages. Along the way it gives a gives a great deal of information about Morocco and the north coast of Africa, the religion, administration and customs of the Moors, the Jewish quarter of Marrakesh and activities in other parts of North Africa. It continues up to the author's own time and for that later period no doubt made use of many sources that have not survived and perhaps even the author's own experiences, making it an essential primary source.
The printer Francisco Garay spared no expense in this magnificent production, having the frontispiece engraved in Rome, importing the finest paper probably from Genoa and importing Dutch types from Amsterdam. Garay appears to have used these types in some smaller books in the last months of 1705, but they may have been acquired especially for the more ambitious present folio of nearly 900 pages, which shows them more extensively.
With an early inscription on the back of the title-page, later obscured with ink but still visible. Fine copy, with a small ink stain on the dedication. Binding with the lovely manuscript title (20 mm capitals and 14 mm x-height!) faded, but still very good. CCPB 000114107-4; Ellen G. Friedman, "The exercise of religion by Spanish captives in North Africa", in: Sixteenth century journal, 6 (1975), pp. 19-34; Gay, Bibl. de l'Afrique et l'Arabe 1276; Palau 293854.