Beschreibung:

Title: Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana... Author: Diaz del Castillo, Bernal Place: Madrid Publisher: Emprenta del Reyno Date: [1632] Description: [P]4, *6, A-2H8, 2I6, 2K2. [10], 256 leaves. Engraved title-page by I. de Courbes with portraits of Cortés and Father Olmedo. (folio) 11x7½, later sheep. Second Edition. Important first-hand account of the conquest of Mexico written by a companion of Cortés. This second edition was published the same year as the first, with the addition of the final chapter on the astrological predictions made by the Indians. "In 1552, [Francisco Lopez de] Gómara, secretary and chaplain to Cortés, published at Saragossa his "Crónica de la Conquista de Nueva España", in which Díaz thought he gave undue credit to Cortés. Díaz, therefore, in 1568 undertook to write his "Verdadera Historia de la Conquista de Nueva España", and though despairing of his ability to equal Gómara's literary polish, he determined to write a faithful narrative of the stirring events in which he had taken part, in order to correct the gross inaccuracies of Gómara, who had never even been in America, and to vindicate the valour of himself and others who had been completely overshadowed by the exaggerated reputation of Cortés. The work lay neglected and unpublished until, in 1632, Father Alonso Remón of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, found it in a private library and had it published at Madrid. The work is crude and devoid of style, and shows the ignorance and vanity of the author, but it will always be read with interest as being the work of an eyewitness and participant in the events described." (V. Fuentes, Catholic Enc.) The first publication in English did not appear until 1800. Sabin 19979. Lot Amendments Condition: Binding dry, worn at spine and corners, front free endpaper detached; engraved title laid down and lacking the top 3"; scattered spotting and browning; small marginal loss to f.38, ink stain on f.183v across several letters. Item number: 155177