Cabrera, Meditatiunculae, Valladolid, 1548, contemporary morocco gilt, from the library of El Escorial

CABRERA, CRISTÓBAL

Meditatiunculae ad serenissimum Hispaniarum principem Philippum. (Valladolid: Francisco Fernández de Córdoba, August 1548)

4to (200 x 136mm.), title-page with woodcut royal arms and two woodcut angels holding a banner at head, woodcut initials, contemporary Spanish brown morocco gilt, central round stamp and matching quarter-circle stamps in corners, each surrounded by a band of flame tools, blind stamp of El Escorial library on both covers, gilt edges with author's name on foredge within a gauffered cartouche and case number 21 written at head of foredge, small paper label with 1805 in ink, small strip of paper pasted to foot of title (obscuring an old inscription), extremities slightly rubbed

FIRST EDITION, RARE. Cabrera (1513-1598) was a Franciscan missionary in New Spain in the 1530s and 1540s; he is best known as the first published poet of the New World. These verses, comprising his second published work, are all acrostics.

As this work is dedicated to Philip II, and it was in his library at El Escorial, it is not impossible that this was a presentation copy from the author, although it was disposed of as a duplicate. For other books from El Escorial, see lots 174 and 195.

LITERATURE:

USTC 335184 (listing 3 copies)

PROVENANCE:

Library of the monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, blind stamp on covers and numerous shelfmarks on verso of flyleaf, also "Dupp.do" (duplicado) on inside front cover