OWEN, Lewis (1571/2-?1633). The Key of the Spanish Tongue, or A plaine and easie Introduction whereby a man may in very short time atttaine to the knowledge and perfection of that Language . London: Thomas Creed for W. Welby, 1605. 12° (118 x 64mm). Woodcut headpieces, tailpieces, and initials. Retaining final blank M6. (Some leaves trimmed touching text, 2 leaves lightly marked, small paper flaw on C5, M5, 6 misbound between M2,3.) Contemporary limp vellum, yapp edges, titled in manuscript on spine (somewhat cockled and marked, spine ends chipped, short tear on lower panel.) Provenance : Juan Smith 14 Julio 1632 (inscription on front endpaper). FIRST EDITION. ONE OF ONLY TWO COMPLETE COPIES KNOWN, AND ONLY THE SECOND OFFERED AT AUCTION SINCE 1902. Lewis Owen was born in Merioneth and attended Christ Church, Oxford, which he left in 1590 without graduating, and subsequently appears to have been an observer in the Anglo-Spanish wars, before returning to England where he published the present work in 1605. In addition to Spanish, he seems to have also learnt French, and he published an English translation of Morton Eudes' Tradition catholique as Catholic Traditions in 1609. In the following years he travelled to Rome and also to other countries in government employ--in part probably in the capacity of a spy--before publishing two anti-Catholic works: The Running Register (London: 1626) and The Unmasking of all Popish Monks, Friers, and Jesuits (London: 1628). Owen's preface to The Key states that it was 'compiled ... at some vacant houres in the Kingdome of Castile' and is intended to be the 'true, exact and readiest way to the knowledge of the Spanish tongue' (A4r). The work is divided into six sections: a guide to Spanish pronounciation; a 'Briefe Instruction' giving the transposition of letters of Spanish words with Latin origins (e.g. 'Cl into ll as llamar, llave: of clamo, clavis' (p.11); a section on Spanish grammar; 'Foure Dialogues, for exercise and practise of the Spanish Tongue' (printed as a parallel text with English on the versos and the Spanish translation on the facing rectos); 'A Short Dictionarie' (with the English and Spanish printed in double columns); the First Epistle of St John (as a parallel text with the English and Spanish on facing pages). The work was re-issued the following year, with a cancellans title dated 1606, but complete copies of both issues are very rare. ESTC records only three locations for the present, first edition, of which only one -- the Britwell Court-Folger copy -- is complete: the British Library (incomplete, lacking pp. 159-162); Folger Shakespeare Library; Harvard University Libraries (incomplete, lacking pp. 141-144). Similarly, the Folger copy (sold 24 March 1926, lot 409, for £100 to Rosenbach) is the only one recorded by Anglo-American book auction records since 1902. ESTC S101137.
OWEN, Lewis (1571/2-?1633). The Key of the Spanish Tongue, or A plaine and easie Introduction whereby a man may in very short time atttaine to the knowledge and perfection of that Language . London: Thomas Creed for W. Welby, 1605. 12° (118 x 64mm). Woodcut headpieces, tailpieces, and initials. Retaining final blank M6. (Some leaves trimmed touching text, 2 leaves lightly marked, small paper flaw on C5, M5, 6 misbound between M2,3.) Contemporary limp vellum, yapp edges, titled in manuscript on spine (somewhat cockled and marked, spine ends chipped, short tear on lower panel.) Provenance : Juan Smith 14 Julio 1632 (inscription on front endpaper). FIRST EDITION. ONE OF ONLY TWO COMPLETE COPIES KNOWN, AND ONLY THE SECOND OFFERED AT AUCTION SINCE 1902. Lewis Owen was born in Merioneth and attended Christ Church, Oxford, which he left in 1590 without graduating, and subsequently appears to have been an observer in the Anglo-Spanish wars, before returning to England where he published the present work in 1605. In addition to Spanish, he seems to have also learnt French, and he published an English translation of Morton Eudes' Tradition catholique as Catholic Traditions in 1609. In the following years he travelled to Rome and also to other countries in government employ--in part probably in the capacity of a spy--before publishing two anti-Catholic works: The Running Register (London: 1626) and The Unmasking of all Popish Monks, Friers, and Jesuits (London: 1628). Owen's preface to The Key states that it was 'compiled ... at some vacant houres in the Kingdome of Castile' and is intended to be the 'true, exact and readiest way to the knowledge of the Spanish tongue' (A4r). The work is divided into six sections: a guide to Spanish pronounciation; a 'Briefe Instruction' giving the transposition of letters of Spanish words with Latin origins (e.g. 'Cl into ll as llamar, llave: of clamo, clavis' (p.11); a section on Spanish grammar; 'Foure Dialogues, for exercise and practise of the Spanish Tongue' (printed as a parallel text with English on the versos and the Spanish translation on the facing rectos); 'A Short Dictionarie' (with the English and Spanish printed in double columns); the First Epistle of St John (as a parallel text with the English and Spanish on facing pages). The work was re-issued the following year, with a cancellans title dated 1606, but complete copies of both issues are very rare. ESTC records only three locations for the present, first edition, of which only one -- the Britwell Court-Folger copy -- is complete: the British Library (incomplete, lacking pp. 159-162); Folger Shakespeare Library; Harvard University Libraries (incomplete, lacking pp. 141-144). Similarly, the Folger copy (sold 24 March 1926, lot 409, for £100 to Rosenbach) is the only one recorded by Anglo-American book auction records since 1902. ESTC S101137.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
