[Paez, Gaspar and Affonso Mendes]

8vo (160 x 101mm.), woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, old vellum, marginal staining, upper hinge broken

Federico Simon, inscription on front endpaper; Frédéric and Anne Max, bookplate

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The acceptance of the Jesuits by the Ethiopian regime of Emperor Susneyos, who himself converted to Christianity, was largely due to tactful persistence. However, Afonso Mendes, a Portuguese who was appointed patriarch of Ethiopia in 1625, became deeply unpopular and, following Susneyos's death in 1632, the Jesuits were expelled from the country. Those who refused to leave were hunted down. Indeed the author of much of this Lettere annue, Gaspar Paez, was martyred in 1635.