In all, an interesting sampling of the types of decrees that the kings and queens of Portugal issued in order to maintain order and discipline in the ever-increasingly important colony of Brazil. The value of the documents sold individually totals $6325.00, and the collection price represents a savings of above 20%.

•  The vast bulk of these decrees are bound in faux morocco and faux mottled calf; those that are in wrappers or as issued are carefully noted. All are in very good condition.

Some broadsides printed on blue paper.   All are scarce, most are rare.   20 of the 21 are not traced via Medina; and in the far more comprehensive Garritz bibliography, 13 of 21 are not found. The dates on the broadsides are: 1) 7 February 1811, 2) 23 February 1811, 3) 30 March 1811, 4) 10 April 1811, 5) 4 September 1811, 6) 30 January 1812, 7) 24 February 1812, 8) 28 February 1812, 9) 28 March 1812, 10) 21 November 1812, 11) 27 November 1812, 12) 7 January 1813, 13) 29 January 1813, 14) 8 February 1813, 15) 17 March 1813, 16) 30 April 1813, 17) 4 May 1813, 18) 5 May 1813, 19) 4 July 1813, 20) 13 July 1813, 21) 1 October 1813.

•  1) Not in Medina; Garritz 1249. 2) Not in Medina; Garritz 1257. 3) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 4) Medina, Mexico, 10642; Garritz 1129. 5) Not in Medina; Garritz 1279. 6) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 7) Not in Medina; Garritz 1600. 8) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 9) Not in Medina; Garrtiz 1591. 10) Not in Medina; Garritz 1620. 11) Not in Medina; Garritz 1621. 12) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 13) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 14) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 15) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 16) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 17) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 18) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 19) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. 20) Not in Medina; Garritz 1702. 21) Not in Medina; not in Garritz. All items obviously removed from bound volumes, and so, with irregular left margins. Most are folded to fit into a standard Spanish folio volume of the era. All are in very good condition.

This offering contains original documents touching on many of these and other matters.

These theatrical ephemera are quite scarce: While 19th-century examples are fairly common, a check of ESTC found only a few scattered instances of 18th-century Theatre-Royal playbills, none with more than one holding.

•  "Mini-collections" of these playbills can be invoiced at the “collection” rates of:  Five items, 10% off; ten items, 15% off; ALL items, 20% off.  Shipping FREE on these gatherings.

Typically, pleadings such as these were printed to the minimal standards of "job printing," but most present here have interesting woodcut initials, some historiated, and among them they are decorated with an interesting array of type-ornaments; eight are begun with a good-size woodcut or engraving of the Virgin, the Virgin and Child, or the Crucifixion, typically unsigned. Usually there is no indication of where the item was printed, and dates must be inferred from the contents or from the watermark of the paper.

Such Spanish documents as these are rare in non-Spanish libraries.

•    All documents are removed from bound volumes, but, unless otherwise noted, are still sewn. They are in good, usable condition, and are unfoxed, with exceptions to these rules noted in the complete listing of the collection—available upon request.

A good research collection. 

•  All items are in good to very good condition, disbound, a few with library markings (stamps) but a few only. The strange glossy effect in our “group photo” is the pamphlets' archival mylar folders, reflecting light — nothing worse, and nothing stranger!