History of the Portuguese, During the Reign of Emmanuel: Containing All their Discoveries, from the Coast of Africk to the farthest Parts of China; their Battles by Sea and Land, their Sieges, and other memorable Exploits: With a Description

London: A. Millar, 1752. ...of those Countries, and a particular Account of the Religion, Government, and Customs of the Natives. Including also, Their Discovery of the Brazils, and Their Wars with the Moors. Gibbs' scarce English version of Osorio's important history of Portuguese exploration, featuring Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, Albuquerque, and others. Osorio was well-regarded in his day as a stylist of Latin, earning the sobriquet 'the Portuguese Cicero'. First edition in English. Two volumes bound in period brown calf, red leather labels. Worn & frayed, hinges cracked but sound, heads of spines chipped, part of the label of volume two missing; catalogue clipping describing the set pasted inside front cover of volume 1, ink name & date (Nov. [19]43) in each volume, minor damage to endsheets, pencilled bookseller's notes inside rear, bookseller's label in rear of each volume; some staining to early/late pages; bookplate in volume one (see below), evidence of bookplate removal in volume two. Interesting provenance: volume one bears an armorial bookplate of severe simplicity: a blackletter 'E' under an Earl's coronet of five pearls - no doubt were one of sufficient breeding one would know exactly who that was. There were, as far as we can tell, three Earls 'E': Essex, Exeter & Euston. Essex was known to use an 'SX' sigil, but not necessarily exclusively; interestingly, it was Essex who carried off Osorio's extensive library when he sacked Faro in 1596, much of which ended up at the Bodleian; perhaps a later Essex completed the circle when he acquired Osorio's book..... First Edition in English. Leather. Good. 5¼" by 8¼".