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Two volumes, quarto, 22 x 16cm, pp [iii], 548; [ii], 572. [Palau 260053] Written by those who accompanied him, Fr. Antonio de Ciudad Real and Fr. Alonso de San Roman. Fray Alonso Ponce arrived in New Spain in 1584 with the title of Commissary General for the Franciscan Order in New Spain. From then until 1589 he traveled through the various Franciscan provinces from Guadalajara to Nicaragua, visiting friars and correcting abuses. His travels were generally on foot and involved many trials, including clashes with the Viceroy and eventual exile from the kingdom. The two friars who accompanied him as his secretaries noted down the incidents of his travels and observations about the various regions -- their flora and fauna , the roads and travelling conditions, etc. -- and the peoples that lived in them, doing this with great detail; their reports were apparently written as they travelled along, which gives them a particular note of veracity, as well as interest -- eyewitness testimonials. It is generally accepted that the two secretaries were Alonso de San Roman and Antonio de Ciudad Real. (This latter returned to New Spain and became the greatest Mayan linguist of his day. See Beristain under Ciudad Real.) The work is filled with first hand reports of life in New Spain at the end of the 16th century, including both historical and ethnological information.The Porrua Diccionario Historia etc., says of it: "Hay informaciones de primera vista, que ayudan a reconstruir la vida de aquellos tiempos y son de grata lectura." The introduction states: " Es un verdadero itinerario descriptivo de mas de dos mil leguas, importantisimo a nuestro parecer; pues en el, con gran sencillez y sin pretenciones de ningun genero, se describen las costumbres, traje y lengua de sus habitantes, se marca la distancia de unos pueblos o conventos a otros. y se dan curiosas noticias de algunas de las antiquedades de aquellas comarcas, asi como sus diferentes climas y cosechas." The narrative of Ponce's journey was first published in Madrid in 1873 from a manuscript of it in the possession of Mariano de Zabalburu. Two indices were later published for it -- an indication of the book's value: Sabin 63965 also refers to it as a 'valuable work." This copy is from the library of George McClelland Foster, Jr , who served as a professor of anthropology from 1953 to his retirement in 1979: the quantity, quality, and long-term value of his scholarly work led to his election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1976. Virtually all of his major publications have been reprinted and/or translated. A note-card from the executor of Foster's library has been laid in, and his stamp is on title: there are some occasional pencil marginalia. Bound in full Spanish tree-calf with gilt lettering to red and black spine labels. No copies at auction are recorded -- exceedingly rare in the market. A fine copy of this scarce book.
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