Beschreibung:

Tracts 1-2 [bound 4th] Brevissima relacion de la destruycion de las Indias. Seville: Sebastian Trugillo, 1552, FIRST EDITION, 54 leaves (including 4 leaves [Tract 2] at end (signature 'g') with drop-title 'Lo que se sigue es un pedaco de una carta y relacion que escrivio cierto hombre', often catalogued separately, but bibliographically part of the Brevissima), title printed in red and black below woodcut arms of Spain within four-part woodcut border, woodcut initials, EARLY MANUSCRIPT ANNOTATIONS ON 8 PAGES, [Alden & Landis 552/8; Church 87-88; Field 860-861; Medina BHA 151; Palau 46941; Sabin 11227-8], e4-5 with repaired tear at foot of inner margin affecting a few letters, f5 with small hole affecting a few letters 'The Brevissima relacion remains today almost unparalleled in the vigor of its composition and the nobility of its design... The work is divided into nineteen Articles, each portraying in detail the condition of the Indians, in one of the provinces of Spanish America... ' (Field, p. 217). The four leaves at the end contain the account of a Spanish traveller who witnessed some of the atrocities committed upon the indigenous people by the Spaniards. Tract 3 [bound 7th] Entre los remedios que don fray Bartolome delas Casas... refirio por mandado del Emperador... para reformacion de las Indias. Seville: Jacome Cromberger, 1552, FIRST EDITION, 53 leaves (lacking final blank), title printed in red and black within four-part woodcut border incorporating the arms of Spain, LONG MANUSCRIPT NOTE ON VERSO OF TITLE (showing through to recto of title), [Alden & Landis 552/9; Church 89; Field 862; Medina BHA 146; Palau 46942; Sabin 11229], without final blank, short tear to foot of title, tear to lower blank margin of f8 'Assigns twenty reasons to prove that the Indians should not be given to the Spaniards in any form of slavery' (Church). 'Though printed by Cromberger, the title page is set within the same woodcut border used by Trugillo for [Tract 7], implying collaboration.' (Alden & Landis) Tract 4 [bound 6th] Este es un tratado... compuso por commission del Consejo Real de las Indias: sobre la materia de los yndios que se han hecho en ellas esclavos. Seville: Sebastian Trugillo, 12 September, 1552, FIRST EDITION, 36 leaves, final page blank, title printed in red and black within four-part woodcut border, woodcut initials, a few manuscript corrections to the text and pen trials, [Alden & Landis 552/10; Church 93; Field 866; Medina BHA 149; Palau 46944; Sabin 11230] This tract contains judicial authorities and reasons supporting the argument that the native Americans should be freed from slavery. Tract 5 [bound 1st] Tratado comprobatorio del Imperio soberano ... que los reyes de Castilla y Leon tienen sobre las Indias. Seville: Sebastian Trugillo, 8 January 1553, FIRST EDITION, 80 leaves, Gothic type, title printed in red and black below woodcut arms of Spain, within elaborate four-part woodcut border, woodcut initials, printed CANCEL-SLIPS (of two lines each) at foot of e5r and f6r, [Alden & Landis 553/19; Church 96; Field 869; Medina 156; Palau 46947; cf. Sabin 11231 (second edition, published in the same year with 84 leaves)] WITH THE RARE CANCEL SLIPS. 'The purpose of this tract is "to prove the sovereign empire and universal dominion by which the kings of Castile and Leon hold the West Indies"' (Church). The longest of Las Casas' essays, and considered by the great collector Salva 'to be the rarest' (Palau). Tract 6 [bound 8th] Aqui se contienen unos avisos y reglas para los confessores que oyeren confessiones de los Españoles que son o han sido en cargo a los Indios de las Indias del mar Oceano. Seville: Trugillo, 20 September, 1552, FIRST EDITION, 16 leaves, final page blank, title beneath a woodcut cut of a confessor with a penitent, within a four-part woodcut border, one underlining and marginal note in ink, signature beneath colophon of Juan Joseph de la Madriz, [Alden & Landis 552/11; Church 90; Field 860-861; Me