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Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
COUTO, DIOGO DO. Decada Quarta da Asia. [12], 207 leaves * Decada Sexta da Asia. 236 leaves; lacks title and following 3 preliminaries. Together, 2 volumes. Folio, 17th-century sheep gilt, bindings not uniform, both spines wormed, Decada Quarta binding worn; some browning and light marginal dampstaining in both volumes, old stamps and scored inscriptions on title of first volume and first page of the second, repair in blank outer margin of last 20 leaves in second volume. From the collection of Alfonso Cassuto. Lisbon: Pedro Craesbeeck, 1602; 1614
first edition of the first and third (of 7) volumes. Couto's work was a continuation of the history by João de Barros of Portuguese overseas exploration and conquests, which had been published in 3 Decadas in 1552-63. Unaware that a fourth volume by Barros existed in manuscript (which was belatedly printed in 1615), Couto named the first volume of his own work Decada quarta. Europe Informed 15, 17; Howgego I, C208; Penrose, pages 278-79 and 282.
