- 372
Vives, Juan Luis
Estimate
1,500 - 2,000 GBP
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Description
- [A very fruteful and pleasant booke called the instruction of a Christen woman, made firste in latyne, by the right famous clerke maysteer Lewes Viues, and tourned out of latyne into Englishe by Rycharde Hyrde]. (London: Henry Wykes), [1557 but 1567?]
- Paper
4to (179 x 127mm.), woodcut initial, black letter, near contemporary calf ruled in gilt, lacking A gathering (six leaves including title, preface, table and woodcuts), tear to lower edge of H4, occasional worming to the margins of a few leaves (affecting the running title in some places), boards nearly detached, binding rubbed
Provenance
Rev. Thomas Hay D.D. (1759-1830), Canon of Christ Church Oxford, bookplate; Rev. Philip Bliss (1787-1857), bookplate, ownership mark ("P" added before printed signature "B") and extensive manuscript note on preliminary blank, acquired from Hay's library in 1830; sale, Sotheby's, 14 July 1858, lot 4461, 8s, to Robert Triphook; William O'Brien, bequest booklabel dated 1899
Literature
STC (2nd ed.) 24861
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
It was at the behest of Queen Catherine of Aragon that that Vives (1492/3-1540) began his Education of a Christen Woman, first published in 1524: the work was hugely popular in England and became the prototype of various conduct books for women during the Tudor period. Vives, who was born into a family of converso Jews in Valencia, had come to England in 1523 after receiving news that his father had been burnt at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition. He quickly won favour with Cardinal Wolsey and became spiritual counsellor to the queen.
The fifth chapter of Book I, entitled "What bokes be to be redde, and What not", contains a list of forbidden Romances. This particularly caught the attention of a former owner of this copy, Oxford historian and bibliophile Philip Bliss, who described it as "very curious".