Some titles include information about when and where plays were originally performed.

Provenance & Evidence of Readership: In each volume, the ink presentation inscription “W.A. Sanford to E.C.A. Sanford” on the front fly-leaf is followed by an index in the same 19th-century hand. Vol. II also has a typed index.

A full list of the plays is available upon request.

•  See Bergman & Szmuk, Comedias Sueltas; McKnight & Jones, Catalogue of Comedias Sueltas; and Sullivan & Bershas, Comedias Sueltas; Don W. Cruickshank, Don Pedro Calderón.   Early 19th-century vellum over boards with binder's sticker on front pastedown and ink title to spines; spine vellum of vol. I significantly torn. Nearly all of the comedias are trimmed close at the margins, many with loss to signature marks and occasionally a bottom line of text; some age-toning, stains, occasional water damage, and foxing. Where colophons are affected, dates have been supplied using the aforementioned references.  (29317)

In addition to the first title, this sammelband contains seven other comedias sueltas by Calderón de la Barca, in order as follows:  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El pintor de su deshonra. [colophon: Barcelona: En la Imprenta de Carlos Sapera, 1766]. [18] ff. “Num. 82” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. La exaltacion de la cruz. [colophon: Barcelona: En la Imprenta de Francisco Suriá, 1771]. [18] ff. “Num.76” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Fuego de Dios en el querer bien. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [18] ff. “Num. 74” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Auristela y Lisidante. Fiesta que se representó á SS. MM. en el Coliseo del Buen Retiro. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suriá y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [22] ff. “Num. 73.” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El segundo Scipion. Fiesta que se representó á los años del Rey nuestro Señor Don Carlos Segundo. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [20] ff. “Num. 75.” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. La desdicha de la voz. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [22] ff. “Num. 81” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Darlo todo, y no dar nada. Fiesta, que se representó à SS. MM. en el Salon de su Palacio. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1780]. [20] ff. “Num. 80=” in upper right corner of the first page.

Provenance:  Francis H. Bacon (modern bookplate, front pastedown).

•  On the comedias sueltas, see: Bergman & Szmuk, Comedias Sueltas; McKnight & Jones, Catalogue of Comedias Sueltas; Sullivan & Bershas, Comedias Sueltas. On Calderon, see: Don W. Cruickshank, Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1973).   Brown calf triple-ruled in gilt and stamped in a blind fern pattern along the border (joints splitting); spine gilt with “Comedias de Calderon,” “Tom. IX.,” and “Madrid 1726" in three of seven compartments otherwise containing gilt fleurons within a blind-stamped flower pattern; gilt turn-ins and marbled endpapers in a stone pattern and matching marbled edges. Front flyleaf detached. Occasional spots and dampstaining, a few natural paper flaws and a few negligible wormholes; age-toning, heavier in some comedias than others. Trimmed close shaving some headlines and catchwords, butoverall nice.  (29852)

•  Sutro 284.   One small pin-type wormhole, costing one letter. Very clean and nice.  (27251)

•  Graesse, Trésor de livres rares, II, 39; Palau 42732.   Contemporary vellum over paste boards, lacking the ties, with some vellum lost; old ownership stamp eradicated from title-page. A bit of old spotting/staining; generally, though, a good clean volume.  (28583)

This edition is graced with four charming historiated woodcut initials: “I,” “C,” “R,” and “L.”

Provenance:  On verso of the front free endpaper in an 18th-century hand is a note that the the book belonged to the Capuchin Convent of Mexico City in 1787.

•  Medina, Mexico, 9208.   Publisher's limp vellum with ties, fore-edge of rear cover rodent-gnawed with a corner lost and both covers with part of lower edge likewise gnawed but in limited way; the hungry rodent also nibbled along the fore-edges of pp. 213 to 234, minimally and with remarkable neatness. Ownership notation as indicated. A good, clean volume.  (29589)

Writer Carrera:  From one of the leading families of Chile, José Miguel Carrera led the successful coup de etat of 15 November 1811 that overthrew the Junta de Gobierno that was established in the political void after the capture of the king of Spain. As sole leader of the nation he created the first Chilean constitution, designed the first Chilean flag and coat of arms, and was responsible for bringing the first printing press to Chile. Disagreement with the Lautaro Lodge of the Masons led to his overthrow by Bernardo O’Higgins and the rift never healed, eventually leading to Carrera’s exile in Argentina, the U.S., and later Uruguay. His brothers fell into the hands of O’Higgins who had them executed.

Recipient Didier:  Henry Didier was the godfather of Edgar Allan Poe’s older brother, William Henry; he was to take the boy into his home for some years, though accounts differ as to whether this happened immediately after the death of the Poe children's parents (1811) or after the death of their guardian grandfather (1816). He ran a counting house in Baltimore and William Henry worked there as a young man. Though the Poe brothers' intimacy varied due to circumstances over the years, clearly Edgar knew Didier; he would surely have visited his brother at the Didier house.

On Uruguay:  “Las cosas continuan en el mismo estado. Los Portugueses no han recivido refuerzo despues de los 500 Pernambucanos. Artigas se mantiene firme, esta guarnicion no se mueve. El Rey ha escrito para que el Gobierno de Buenos Ayres se desida.”

On Argentina: “Buenos Ayres continua tranquilo, está entretenido en la eleccion del nuevo cavildo que se verificará a fines del presente.”

On Peru:  “En el Perú no hay novedad considerable. [L]os españoles tienenel aquella costa 11 buques de guerra, inclusas dos de 44, pero esto no estorbó al Berg.n chileno el Aguila. . . . No pasa de 9000 veteranos el Ex[erci]to en aquel pais, aseguran que llegando los buques de guerra de Estados Unidos piensan atacar a Arequipa y seguir a Lima; no lo creo por ahora.”

On O’Higgins: “O’Higgins sigue mandando el Ex[erci]to y Brayer es sus m[ay]or gene]ral. — Pueyrredon ha mandado a esta un comisionado para que alcance de Leon que se me eche de aqui; Leon constante en su amistad y systema se negó despresiando al comisionado.”

On Prisoners: “Mi viejo Padre, 85 años de edad, ha estado incomunicado 17 dias, y ultimamente sigue su arresto en casa. . . . Mis hermanos presos aun, y lo mismo muchos de nuestros compatriotas. . . . Mr. Handle continua en su prision con todos sus oficiales y tripulacion.”

•  Very good condition. Written in a very clear hand.  (24646)

Provenance:  Library stamp on title-page of a Jesuit residence in Mallorca.

•  Publisher's acid-stained sheep, abrasions to front cover; gilt spine. Library stamp as above; front free endpaper and half-title with old stains, otherwise expectable age-toning only.  (28722)

The entremeses in vol. I (which volume is not present) were previously published in Castro's 1702 Primera parte de Alegria comica, but those in this volume are by other (unidentified) comics and ardhere for the first time. The entremeses in this volume are: “El Gallego silletero,” “La Rueda y los Cobielos, 2a parte,” “Los locos,” “El Enmendador,” “Pedro Grullo y Anton Pintado,” “La Lámina,” “Las Brujas, 2a parte,” “El duelo del vejete,” “La casa de los linajes,” “La Burla del Herrero,” “El Sacristan niño,” and “El Hombre muger.”

Searches of WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 locate only one U.S. library reporting ownership of this work and it has both volumes. Searches of the Catálogo Colectivo del Patrimonio Bibliográfico and the OPAC of the BNE find only three libraries in Spain owning both volumes and only three other libraries owning either volume alone. Palau says “Los dos tomos completos y en buen estado son raros.”

An important and clearly rare compilation of post–Golden Age theater.

•  Palau 48691; Aguilar 2362. On Castro, see: Archivo biográfico de España, Portugal, e Iberoamérica, fiche 198, frames 417–24.   Modern medium brown morocco, gilt double-rule border on both covers, gilt spine extra, single gilt rule on board edges. Gilt inner dentelles, gilt pattern endpapers, top edge gilt, blue silk place marker. Light age-toning in some sections, by nature of paper; a few pages with small natural paper flaws; some leaves lightened across their lower outer corners; and otherwise the stray stain only. This is a very nice copy.  (29144)

WorldCat locates only three U.S. libraries reporting ownership.

•  Palau 209844; Medina, BHA, 3925; not in Sabin but see 58289 for the 1767 Puebla printing.   Removed from a bound volume; old sewing holes visible in inner margin. Very good condition.  (28194)

•  Not in Medina, Mexico.   Folded twice but never bound. Uncut.  (24565)

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WorldCat locates only four copies in the U.S., but we know of one other.

•  Medina, Mexico, 8973.   Sewn as issued with original plain wrappers and with later green marbled wrappers. One pin hole from front to rear occasionally affecting one letter.  (27224)

This is handsomely printed!

•  Not in Medina, Mexico; not in González de Cossío, Cien; not in González de Cossío, 510.   Folded once and never bound. Crisp.  (24584)

This bilingual edition is printed in two columns, the original Latin text of the Apostolic letter is on the left and a Spanish translation is on the right. This important item in Spanish and Vatican diplomatic history is rare. No copies were found on OCLC or RLIN, or in NUC Pre-1956.

•  Not in Palau. On Benedict XIV, see New Catholic Encyclopedia, II, 278. Removed from a nonce volume. Paper generally clean and crisp with a few spots of soiling.

This copy is notarized, i.e., authenticated, sealed, and signed, "In Madrid, a true copy, Manuel St. Martin, Apostolic notary." No copies were found on OCLC or RLIN, or in NUC Pre-1956.

•  Not in Palau. On Benedict XIII, see New Catholic Encyclopedia, II, 276-77. Removed from a nonce volume. Paper generally clean and crisp with but a few spots of soiling; closed tear from bottom margin into the last two lines of text, without loss of letters. Inked paraph on lower inner corners, and inked notation on upper outer corner of first page.

•  Medina, Mexico, 5472.   Contemporary limp vellum with remnants of ties. Worming in lower and inner margins of first portion of volume, not touching text; clean.  (29480)

Uncommon.  OCLC and NUC Pre-1956 locate only three copies in the U.S.

•  Medina, Mexico, 8711.   Contemporary vellum over paste boards of printer's waste, vellum cockled and that of the front cover lightly rodent-gnawed at board edges. Worming in text, some of which is meander type, costing letters. Not a great copy, but given the scarcity, an acceptable one.  (24103)