1575 Republicas del mundo : divididas en, XXVII. libros. / Ordenadas por F. Hieronymo Roman, frayle professo, y Cronista de la orden de S. Augustin. Natural de la ciudad de Logroño. Dirigidas ala S.C.R.M. Del Rey Don Philippe, Rey de las Españas, nuestro Señor

Description

An Important Work, Early Edition, Leather Binding, Rebound, Very Scarce

Very scarce. The work is only held within four institutional libraries. The first edition of the work, in the original Spanish. Volume one only. A second volume was published simultaneously with a third volume first published in 1595. The work has been rebound and is lacking the first two blank leaves, otherwise complete. Pagination is irregular, as called for. The work offers a wide ranging comparative history of the world's civilisations and their institutions. The work has a particular focus upon political, legal and moral issues and includes reference to the Indies, Far East and pre-Columbian America. The author, Fray Hieronymo Roman was a clergyman, librarian and Spanish historian, known to be a close friend of Alonso de la Vera Cruz; considered to be the most important figure in philosophy in the sixteenth century. The work is the author's Magnum Opus and offers a very early example of anti-colonial writing. The comprehensive work was not without its controversy; indeed it faced censorship owing to its implications regarding the first conquistadors including casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Spanish rule in the New World. In 1583 the work was included upon the Spanish Inquisition's list of prohibited books after being denounced by the Council of the Indies. The following year the work was also included upon their index of books to be destroyed. The author managed to avoid further censorship by correcting the most controversial passages in the later 1595 edition. As such, first edition copies such as this one are extremely scarce to come across and are considered of greater historical significance, in part due to their inclusion of the more controversial anti colonial standpoint, particularly in reference to Spanish colonisation in America. A very scarce example of this early anti-colonial writing, written by a noted Spanish friar and historian.