Published by António Craesbeeck de Mello, printer to "Sua Alteza" [= Prince Regent and future King Dom Pedro II],, Lisbon,, 1671
US$ 14,967.37
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketRare first (and until 1946 only) edition of a concise account of the qualities needed to be a good ruler and the best Christian manner of educating people to be rulers, by Jacinto de Deos or Deus (Macau 1612-Goa 1681), a Capuchin Franciscan missionary in Goa under Portuguese rule, dedicated to the Prince Regent and future King Dom Pedro II (1648-1706) of Portugal. Dom Pedro was 22 when De Deos published it, though he had already been de facto head of state for three years. It was no doubt intended both for him and for the future education of his daughter and heir, then two years old, but in the event she died before him. The fact that De Deos was a Franciscan in Asia gives the book special significance for its insights into his attitudes, for the Jesuits largely dominated the literature on missionary work in Asia. We know less about the Franciscans, though they claimed priority over the Jesuits in most regions.Pedro Craesbeeck of Antwerp, who had worked in Christoffel Plantin's printing office there in the 1580s, set up his own printing office in Lisbon by 1597, founding a prominent and highly respected printing dynasty that continued there to 1690. With manuscript annotations on the title-page and first free end-leaf, including 17th- and early 18th-century owner's inscriptions: "Araujo 200"[?], "N.[?] Lucas de Slenezes[?]" and "He.[?] do .ed des Manoel Dias . 1712". With a small wormhole in the lower fore-edge margin, occasionally slightly affecting a letter of the text in the first third (a thinner worm trail in the upper outside corner rarely touches the text), a minor water stain at the head of quire P and a small yellow stain on S8v, but still in very good condition. The binding also shows a few small worm holes, and half of the upper headband is lost, but it remains in good condition.l Innoce^ncio III, 238; Porbase (2 copies); WorldCat 11529534, 433447739 (7 copies). Contemporary sheepskin parchment without boards, sewn on 2 parchment supports, the upper laced through the front joint and the lower through the back joint, with a hollow back, remnants of 2 pair of alum-tawed ties, manuscript title in black ink reading down the spine: "Brachilogia de princepes|Lisbon" with "J de Deos" added in an 18th-century italic type in black and "1671" in a 20th-century sans-serif type in red, dark brown headbands with the cores laced through the joints. With 2 woodcut decorated initials (2 series). Pages: [16], 299, [1 blank], [3], [1 blank] pp.
Published by Antonio Craesbeeck de Mello, Lisboa (Lisbon), 1671
Seller: ERIC CHAIM KLINE, BOOKSELLER (ABAA ILAB), Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A.
First Edition
Hardcover. Condition: fair. (First Edition). 16mo. 300 (4) pp. Half leather over 19th century mottled boards. Text in Portuguese Spine with gilt. Corners bumped. Some scuffing and peeling to boards. Ex-library copy, with stickers affixed to back cover and a small one to top of spine. Stain to bottom gutter of pages, affecting some text. In fair/good condition.