Acosta, Jose de (1539-1600).

Estimate

1,200 - 1,800 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

The naturall and morall historie of the East and West Indies. London: Val[entine] Sims for Edward Blount and William Aspley, 1604

8vo (192 x 129mm.), [6], 590 [i.e. 592], [14]pp., illustration: woodcut head- and tailpieces and initials, binding: contemporary calf, gilt and blind fillet border, gilt armorial centrepiece to both upper and lower covers, spine in compartments gilt, brown morocco lettering-piece, lacking A1 (blank) and final leaf b4 (blank), 2A4 bound before 2A3, 2A6 bound before 2A5, staining, small tears to some pages with tiny loss (not affecting text)

Provenance

George Sandys (1578-1644), with his armorial gilt book-stamp to covers (see: Rogers, M.A., Books from the Library of George Sandys, in The Book Collector, Autumn 1974, pp.361-373)

Literature

Sabin 131; Church 328; Palau 1996

Catalogue Note

first english edition, in a translation attributed to Edward Grimeston, of the Spanish Jesuit Acosta's Historia natural y moral de las Indias (originally published as De natura novi orbis in 1588). The work revealed the extent of the huge wealth that Spain was drawing from the New World. The appearance of this translation coincided with the signing of the Treaty of London which brought an official end to the twenty year conflict between England and Spain.

an important association copy from the library of the great english traveller, translator and poet george sandys, who, while he was Treasurer of the Virginia colony from 1621 to 1625 became North America's first poet and scholar. (For further biographical information see Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).