Salazar Alonso de (fl circa 1521) Historia del Vaolorisissim

Sale 2617 - Lot 254

Price Realized: $ 750

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200

Salazar, Alonso de (fl. circa 1521)
Historia del Vaolorisissimo Cavallier della Croce Libro Primo [-Secondo], in a Jacques-Auguste de Thou Binding.

Venice: [Pietro Deuchino], 1580.

Octavo, two parts in one volume; part two translated from Spanish into Italian by Pietro Lauro, authorship also attributed to Juan de Molina and Pedro de Lujan; bound in full contemporary calf with de Thou's bachelor arms tooled in gilt on both boards, flat spine simply titled in gilt, somewhat rubbed, backstrip dry, joints worn; housed in a modern custom box, 5 x 4 in.

The anonymously written story of El Lepolemo, also known as the History of the Knight of the Cross, was cited by Cervantes in Don Quixote. It is unclear whether Cervantes was referring to Salazar's first part, or the Italian continuation of the tale known as Leandro el Bel, part two of the present work, or both. This work is one of those consigned to the flames by the priest reviewing Don Quixote's library in chapter six. "They opened another volume and saw that its title was The Knight of the Cross. 'Out of respect of a name so holy as the one this book bears, one might think that its ignorance should be pardoned; but you know the old saying: the devil takes refuge behind the cross; so to the fire with it.'"

The authors seem to hew more closely to actual (as opposed to magical) realism and elements, with accurate descriptions of North Africa and the appearance of only one giant.

Famous book collector Jacques-Auguste de Thou (1553-1617) amassed one of the most renowned scholarly libraries of the early modern period.

Rare at auction; three copies in Worldcat, all in European libraries; not in Adams; cf. Brunet II 996; Palau 135986.

From the Ken Rapoport Collection.

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