MEXICO - UNA PIÑATA BIBLIOGRÁFICA
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Noble Orders — American Ones Included Here

•  Offering in encyclopedic form the history of chivalric orders of Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and the Americas, this volume describes, among others, American orders such as the Society of the Cincinnati (U.S.), Ordem de Cristo (Brazil), Ordem de Aviz (Brazil), Ordem do Cruzeiro (Brazil), Orden de la Cruz de Honor (Guatemala), Légion d'Honneur (Haiti), Ordre de Sainte-Anne (Haiti), Orden de los Libertadores (Venezuela), Orden Nacional (Nicaragua), and Orden de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Mexico).

•  Vicaire, Manuel de l'amateur de livres du XIXème, I, 772. Uncut, mostly unopened copy. Publisher's wrappers, printed in black and red; front one off, with expectable chipping and with soiling. Some pages lightly spotted; mostly, clean. Now housed in a simple acid-free phase-box. (14356)

Dad Helped with Expenses

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•  Second of ten colonial-era editions of this Franciscan's manual of spiritual exercisesdesigned for personal use, hence the small format allowing one to carry it with one. Publication of this edition was at the expense of the author's father.

Preceding p.1 of the text is apowerfully executed unsigned copper-plate engraving of Christ Crucified.

All editions are lightly held in U.S. libraries, and of this edition searches of WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 find no copies in the U.S.

Provenance:  Ownership signature at base of title-page, “Felipe Neri Garcia.”

•  Medina, Mexico, 7319.   Contemporary vellum over light paste boards; green silk place marker. Very old tan liquid stain at rear of volume, well-spread but light. Solid and good copy.  (29106)

The “Light of Catholic Truths” Comes to Spain — RARE

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•  In his Thursday sermons in the Jesuit Casa Professa of Mexico City, Martínez de la Parra during the 1690s painted for later generations a vivid and many believe realistic picture of sundry spiritual concerns of “the common man” in the capital at the end of the “Forgotten Century”: failure, death, redemption, living a Christian life, a child's education, and knowing what is right.

The sermons were originally published in Mexico City between 1691 and 1696 not as individual sermons but as three volumes gathered, andthis is the first Spanish printing of any volume of Luz de verdades. Vols. II and III were also published by Blas also in 1699 (unknown to Palau), but apparently as stand-alone volumes that are so catalogued by the only library reporting ownership of all three — the library of the Universidad de La Laguna on the island of Tenerife. Columbia University reports owning vol. I and the Lilly vol. III, with no other library reporting owning any volumes of this edition.

The plate is an etching of St. Francis Xavier.  The title-page is printed in black and red with a handsome border of printer's ornaments.

•  Palau 155512; Beristain, IV, 107; Alden & Landis 699/145; DeBacker-Sommerogel, V, 636.   Contemporary limp vellum with remnants of ties, light wear and typical stains to binding; rextblock separating slightly at the title-page. Light scattered dust-soiling, light age-toning; foxing in some margins and occasionally into text, with scattered round stains on several leaves as from a glass, cup, or other cylinder. Minor worming with tasteful early repairs. Really, a darned good copy of a rare book.  (29667)

Lord Save Us — An AttractiveSMALL Broadside

(Medical Prayer).

•  This prayer, in poetic form, is against an unspecified epidemic and is printed on wove paper within an ornamental border, in double-column format with the columns separated by double lines of entwined opening and closing parentheses. An extremely rare ephemerum, it was probably sold outside churches, to theworried devout.

•  Slightly irregular margins, as issued. Handsome.

Mexico's Income in1825

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•  This account of the income and monies received as loans in support of the government of Mexico includes, on pp. 10–11, information on the the history ofCalifornia missions and their revenues.

Title-page has a handsome woodcut of the Mexican national symbol (an eagle on a nopal with a snake in its beak). The final leaf contains a listing of “Asuntes pendientes de resolucion del soberano Congreso General.”

•  Howes E-201.   Stitched as issued, lacking the original plain paper wrappers; light age-toning to some pages. Very good copy.  (29887)

California, New Mexico, & Galveston

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•  This account of the income and monies received as loans in support of the government of Mexico includes, on pp. 26–27, information on California and its then current situation. The tables contain significant data on mining and transportation; scattered paragraphs on Galveston and New Mexico.

•  Not in Howes despite the previous year's report being listed.   Stitched as issued, lacking the original plain paper wrappers, dust-soiling and some age-toning; title-leaf torn at inner margin and a partial repair sometime done with document tape; corners bumped and last leaf chipped at edges. Good copy.  (29969)

Attempting aCOMPULSORY Social Code for New Spain
A Juan Ruíz Imprint

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•  The Third Mexican Concilium, which was celebrated in Mexico city in 1585, had been called by Archbishop Moya de Contreras with the object of producing a comprehensive and compulsory social code for New Spain. The code was shaped, but only those rules directly affecting the conduct of priests (regular and secular) and nuns (cloistered and not) were promulgated. This volume contains the first publication of that social code. Llaguno (p. 143) succinctly summarizes the contents of this fundamental volume in the history of colonial Mexican social and religious history when he discusses the “problemas fundamentales” that the council addressed: “1.o Instrucción religiosa de los indios convertidos y por convertir; 2.o Ministros idóneos para la obra misional y civilizadora; 3.o Adaptación a la capacidad y modo de ser de los indios; y 4.o Defensa de los derechos de los naturales.”

The printer of this work, Juan Ruíz, was an important figure in colonial Mexican book arts and his books are among the most elegant produced during the 17th century in the New World.  Here he provides handsome typography, accented with wonderful and large woodcut initials, some historiated, and a woodcut title-page border element originally cut for the incunable-era printer Antonio Espinosa, bearing his initials!

Evidence of readership: In addition to the expected marking in margins indicating important statement in the text (which is extensive in this copy), folios 17r, 17v, and 18r of the second foliation have interesting marginalia.

•  Medina, Mexico, 343.; Puttick & Simpson, Bibliotheca Mejicana (i.e., the Fischer sale), 422 (“EXTREMELY RARE”); Palau 58835; Andrade 105. On the concilium, see: José A. Llaguno, La personalidad jurídica del indio y el III Concilio Provincial Mexicano (Mexico: Edit. Porrúa, 1963).   Recent Spanish sheep mottled in the Valenciana style; main, engraved title-leaf supplied in facsimile. Last five leaves with good repairs to holes in foremargin; no text effected. Light waterstain in some margins and the expectable old, stray stain here and there, never offensive. Paper crisp and printing very sharp. A good++ copy.  (26677)

Treasury Form specifying“Arbitrary” Penalties for Failure to Comply

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•  Unrecorded printed form with blank spaces for completion in manuscript. The form was used to certify that a miner or his agent had presented gold ingots and/or silver bars and had paid the diezmo tax; there is sufficient space to itemize the ingots and bars. The miner is further obligated to transport the metal to the mint in Mexico City to be turned into coin, with the requirement of presenting to the officials in Durango the receipt he receives from the Mexico City officials. The penalty for failure to comply is specified as “arbitaria”!

Printed in roman type with one decorative initial and a handsome woodcut of the royal coat of arms (as modified by Charles III) in the center at the top of the leaf.

No copy located via WorldCat, CCILA, or METABASE.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico; nor González de Cossío, Cien; nor González de Cossío, 510.   Old folds, small rent in lower blank margin. Waterstain in upper right corner and a big of soil along one fold.  (25800)

Ending an Amnesty for Rebels

•  In this VERY LARGE broadside, printed in double-column format, the Mexican Inquisitors reprint a decree of the Inquisitor General announcing an end to the previously granted period for obtaining amnesty for the crime of rebelling against the crown and its church. Click the image for an enlargement.

Signed by each Mexican Inquisitor with his paraph and with the woodcut seal of the Inquisition in the lower left corner

Very uncommon: We trace only one copy in the U.S. — at the University of California at Berkeley.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico.   Several holes of various sizes, including one very large one in the middle of the first column, with loss of paper costing words and whole sentences. Otherwise, light staining and some instances of soiling most notably around the holes, only. Priced accordingly.  (17028)

Procesion del Palacio a la Iglesia — Ocupacion del Trono Chico

•  The Inauguration Commission's official report to Congress as given on 17 June 1822, for the coronation ceremony of Agustin de Iturbide as emperor of Mexico.

Rare: Via OCLC and NUC Pre-1956 we locate only three copies in the U.S.

•  Sutro 358.   Folded as issued, but lacking sewing. Small waterstain in upper inner corner of all leaves. Old note, “De Villanueva” on title-page.  (25446)

SILVER MINING in 18th-CenturyMexico & Peru

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•  Royal decrees relating to mining in New Spain: discovery of new mines, operation of old ones, training of workers and royal officials, duties of experts, introduction of new technology, role of the Tribunal de la Minería and the requirements (including purity of blood) for appointment to it, and many more aspects of this important economic activity. The work was carefully compiled and indexed by José de Galvez, was originally printed in Madrid in 1783, and is here in the first printing to take place in a viceroyalty.

Sabin calls this work a “rare and valuable compendium of the old mining laws and mineral customs.” Galvez was a special commissioner charged with making reforms in the governing of Mexico; his work greatly influenced the 1786 replacement of the Mexican provinces with 12 intendencias. The 18th century saw a rebirth of the Mexican and the Peruvian silver industry as new technologies and techniques were introduced. Concomitant with the increased production was increased wealth for the mine owners and the crown.

•  Palau 251938a; Medina, Lima, 1636; Sabin 56260.   Recent calf bordered in gilt tooling, spine with gilt bands and floral devices in compartments, gilt-stamped leather title label; a few very small scuffs to covers. All edges sprinkled blue and red. Title-page recto and verso with inked ownership inscriptions in an early hand. Final leaf with repairs to outer edge; penultimate two leaves with lower corners torn away, outer edge of one with small chewed portion. Occasional spots of foxing. Two worm pinholes to title-page; more extensive worming to inner margins of central 20 leaves, on some pages touching text without affecting comprehensibility. Handsome.  (3039)

For MINING,  click here.

RULES for Administrators OverseeingSales Taxes & Pulque

•  Dated in manuscript at end as 4 July 1781, this 15-point document presents rules for the proper collection of the media anata tax in the Sales Tax and Pulque Tax divisions of the viceregal government. Click the image for an enlargement.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico; not in González de Cossío, Cien or 510; not in Harper, Americana Iberica.   Removed from a bound volume and left margin slightly irregular. Now in a quarter cloth (faux leather) folder with marbled paper sides.  (4773)

The State of theMexican Navy

•  Annual report on the state of the navy, with a table of expenses; in fact quite a pretty piece of printing, with its charming engraved “naval” emblem on the front “cover.” Click the image for an enlargement.

•  Not in Sutro.  Sewn. (3852)

Opening the Port ofMatamoros

•  Decree of the Congreso General, approved by José Justo Corro, president ad interim, 16 July 1836, and promulgated the same day by Juan de la Fuente, opening the port of Matamoros to the importation of provisions during the war with Texas, assigning those provisions to the expeditionary force, and exempting from seizure mules and wagons carrying supplies to that army from within the country.

This is a states' edition, promulgated by José Gómez de la Cortina, Governor of the Federal District.

•  Streeter, Texas, 880.   Very good condition. Lacking the integral blank leaf.  (24618)

New“Stamping” Style

•  Under the leadership of President Lerdo de Tejada a new law is enacted replacing stamped paper with the issuance of revenue stamps to be affixed to documents and books legally required to be taxed.

•  Not in Sutro. Sewn; original plain wrappers, lacking the front one. Library pencilling in preparation for cataloging, but no stamps.

Tax Matters 1756

•  Two related decrees concerning changes in the sales tax rates. One is dated 18 July and the other 11 November 1756, in text, at end.

•  Removed from a bound volume and with a few fold tears; irregular in inner margin. A few stray stains. now housed in a quarter cloth (faux leather) folder with marbled paper sides.

BURNING theConstitution of Apatzingan, etc., ETC.

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•  This is Viceroy Calleja's vehement renunciation and condemnation of the Congress of Anahuac that met at Apatzingan in 1814 and all of the publications emanating from it, including the declaration of independence, the constitution, etc. He announces here in this LARGE broadside that on 25 Maythe executioner will publicly burn in the zócalo of Mexico City ALL of the said publications that had been sent to the viceroy by loyalists.

Moreover, Calleja labels all signatories to the “monstrous” constitution as rebels, traitors, infamous, and schismatics. They arespecifically named in one section of this broadside, their names set forth clearly in italic type.

We trace only one copy worldwide.

•  Not in Garritz, Impresos novohispanos; not in Harper, Americana Iberica; not in Sutro.   Very good condition. Printed on three sheets and glued together to form the whole. One sheet is blue paper. A significant document issued at a significant moment, and an impressive display piece.  (27947)

Constituciones with an Important & Useful OVERVIEW of 110
Years ofMexican Intellectual History

Mexico (Viceroyalty).

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•  By 1775 the first edition of the university constitution was a rare book but demand for it was significant, so a reprint was brought out. And an important change was made to this second edition of the rules, regulations, and constitution of the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico: While the main text of the first edition is faithfully reprinted, the original preface is deleted and a new one substituted. It gives a marvelous overview of those who were perceived to have been the intellectual giants of Mexico during the period 1660–1770: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Doña Ana María del Costado de Cristo, Juan José de Eguiara y Eguren, Antonio Guillén de Castro, José Ignacio Bartolache, and so on. Additionally, the anonymous but very knowledgeable author of the preface gives a detailed essay on the architecture of the university and its art work in all of its manifestations: sculpture, paintings, retablos, tapestries, etc.

Although the university was founded in 1551 and began offering classes in 1553, its rules and practices were not published until 1668: Various manuscript compilations of the rules had been gathered during the first hundred years of the institution, but it fell to Bishop Palafox to undertake the definitive compilation and to initiate the publication of the results, which did not see light of day until after his death. It is his omnium gatherum that the body of this volume offers.

•  Medina, Mexico, 5836; Palau 6067; not in Harper, Americana Iberica; not in Maggs, Bibl. Amer. 20th-century quarter calf with marbled paper sides and endpapers. All edges carmine. Paper clean and crisp. A lovely copy.

For more CHILDREN / EDUCATION,  click here.
For more CONSTITUTIONS,  click here.

Daily Business Life — International! New Orleans 1831

•  Moctezuma writes to Pizarro Martínez, the Mexican consul in New Orleans, that after having seen Pizarro that morning, he received a letter from their mutual friend Mr. Parrot enclosing a letter for Sr. Risquero that was to be entrusted to Pizarro. Moctezuma is further instructed by Parrot to say that Mr. Plate has promised to pay the money owed to Risquero as soon as some bills are collected. Click the image for enlargement.

•  Very good condition. Written in a small but clear hand.  (24650)

Revolutionaries & Their Uncontrolled Passions

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•  Montaña (1755–1820) was a faculty member of the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico and was tapped by the administration to write an essay seeking to explain the Hidalgo uprising; here it is, as he submitted it on 2 October 1810, approximately a fortnight after the Grito de Dolores.

“In convulsions of this sort there are basically two types of persons: those with base passions and those who are ignorant. The first use conversation and sophistry to find and attract each other; they then use money and promises of liberty to attract the others.”

Thus, the Hidalgo revolt was driven by misdirected and uncontrolled passion — an interesting religio-moral approach to interpreting revolution.

•  Garritz, Impresos novohispanos, 799; Medina, Mexico, 10490.   Uncut copy. Removed from a nonce volume. Very good.  (27548)

Apologia Pro Vita Sua

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•  Montenegro Colón had been vilified for his adherence to the Spanish cause and here, after receiving news while in exile on Curaçao that the Venezuelan congress was allowing his repatriation, provides an “apologia pro vita sua.”

Front wrapper reads: “Mexico y Cuba; apuntes históricos.”

Apparently scarce: OCLC has a record for this but with no library holdings given. Searches of the University of Texas and University of California OPACs failed to find this publication.

•  20th-century Mexican red calf binding. Title in gilt on front cover. Original wrappers bound in. Front free endpaper torn out exposing inner hinge; waterstaining particularly visible to first leaves, faint to later ones. (21513)

The FIRST ENTIRELY ENGRAVED Book
Printed inthe AMERICAS

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•  With this work Montes de Oca secured for himself the position of the most important and talented engraver in the New World at the beginning of the 19th century. He conceived andself-published this, the first entirely engraved book printed in the Americas.  In a series of 30 plates with captions he told the biography of St. Philip of Jesus (1572–97), the protomartyr of Japan.

This is a rare book with only nine U.S. libraries reporting ownership: Several of those copies are lacking either one, two, or three of the plates, and it is certain that the book was issued unbound, as a gathering of 31 individual leaves, thus accounting for copies with less than the “requisite” engraved title and 30 plates. This copy in fact confirms that the plates spent part of their lives unbound, as two of them are touched by small instances of worming that have not touched their next neighbors!

Montes de Oca's plates are particularly detailed and moving when they show the saint in Japan being abused and tortured, but all are strong and striking.

Uncut.

•  Palau 363045.   Late 19th-century plain sheep binding. Uncut; lacking two plates and two with minor worming as noted above; all plates well impressed, as would be expected of a work that the artist himself saw through the press! A very good copy of a scarce and important work.  (25095)

Estate Law

•  Montiel seeks to have set aside the civil decision of 26 November 1856 against Silvestre López Tello and his sister Guadalupe, in the matter of the estate of Teodoro López Tello.

•  Sutro 908. Removed from a nonce volume.

BUILDER of the FIRSTNew World Utopian Community

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•  In the 18th century Mexico saw a birth of great biographical writing focusing on important figures in its history, especially its ecclesiastical history. Vasco de Quiroga (1470–1565) was an imposing and perhaps quixotic figure during the early post-Conquest decades. A learned man, he arrived in Mexico in 1531 as one of the first four judges of the high court (i.e., oidores) and became the first bishop of the far western province of Michoacan. In that “out of the way” region of Mexico he devoted himself to establishing European culture, ensuring fair treatment of the indigenous population, creating towns and cities, and building the first utopian community in the New World.

Not the least of his accomplishments was the creation of two pueblo-hospitals for native Americans, and appended and integral to this biography are his “Reglas, y ordenanzas para el gobierno de los Hospitales de Santa Fé de México, y Michoacàn,” which occupy the final 29 pages.

Historians still consider this to be the definitive biography of Quiroga. The engraved portrait of him, handsome and from the burin of José Morales, adds a face to the words of the biographer and to the account of the deeds of the biographee.

•  Medina, Mexico, 5099; Wellcome, Medical Americana, M.134; Palau 181902; Beristain, III, 2059.   Contemporary limp vellum lacking ties. A very good copy.  (23061)

MEXICAN COOKERYdedicado á las Señoritas

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•  Uncommon edition of a classic Mexican cookbook: “Compuesto de recetas de exquisitas viandas, al estilo del país y extranjero, escogidas y arregladas por personas de buen gusto é inteligencia” (per the title-page). The recipes are notably reflective of popular Mexican cuisine, including olla podrida, chiles rellenos, and assorted tamales, empanadas, and asados. This is the third edition, following previous printings in 1856 and 1890; WorldCat locatesonly one U.S. institutional holding.

•  Contemporary quarter pebbled oxblood cloth and marbled paper-covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; edges and sides scuffed. Front pastedown with pencilled gift inscription, dated 1914 in Mexico and name not quite legible; pages gently age-toned, otherwise clean.  (29930)

TO Part VII . . .

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