Galvao, Antonio | A key collection of voyages, here in the first obtainable edition

Galvao, Antonio

Tratado dos Descobrimentos Antigos,e Modernos, Feitos Até a era de 1550. Com os Nomes Particulares das Pessoas que os Fiseraõ: e em que Tempos, e as suas Alturas, e dos Desvairados Caminhos por onde a Pimenta, e Especiaria Veyo Da India as Nossas Partes, Obra Certo muy Notavel, e Copiosa. Lisbon: Officina Ferreiriana, 1731

2 volumes in one, folio. Full-page woodcut portrait of author; ownership stamp in foremargin of titlepage. [Bound with:] Francisco Moreno Porcel. Retrato de Manuel de Faria y Sousa...contiene una Relacion de sua Vida, un Catalogo de sus Escritos, y un Sumario de sus Elogios, Recogidos de Varios Autores. Lisbon: Officina Ferreiriana, 1733. Minor worming in lower margin of final seven leaves. Contemporary speckled calf, spine gilt; minor worming to boards, pastedowns, and free endpapers.  

A landmark in the literature of Portuguese expansion in the east

The present volume is the second edition of Galvao's history of exploration and voyages, issued after the virtually unobtainable first edition of 1563. According to Sabin, this second edition "is also rare, the greater portion having been destroyed by an earthquake." Galvao's text was translated in 1601 by Hakluyt, who complained about the rarity of the first edition even then, and had to rely on a copy sent from Lisbon. Currently, only three copies of the first edition are known, including one at the John Carter Brown Library.

Born in 1503, Galvao was sent to India in 1527, and after distinguishing himself there, he was appointed governor of the Moluccas. He maintained a keen interest in military and religious affairs throughout his career, and spent the latter part of his life assembling accounts of the voyages that comprise this collection. He provides a relatively succinct chronological list of ancient and modern discoveries to the year 1550, including those by Columbus, Cabral, Cortés, and Pizarro. "The author has been styled 'the founder of historical geography.' The book gives a good summary of the geographical explorations of the Portuguese and other important voyagers, including the English" (Hill).

Bound with Galvao's Tratado..., the second edition Francisco Moreno Porcel's biography and critical appreciation of the Portuguese poet and historian, Manuel de Faria y Sousa, which was enlarged from the first edition of 1650. Faria y Sousa is known for his enormous commentary on Camões, his historical writings on Portuguese expansion, and his own poetry.

PROVENANCE

Franz Pollack Parnau (bookplate)

REFERENCE

Hill 670; Sabin 26468; Bibliotheca Americana 642; European Americana 731/89; Borba de Moraes, p.289; Palau 182290