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ItemID: #76795
Cost: $4,500.00

Life of Dom John de Castro

Jacinto Freire de Andrada

“YEARS OF BATTLE AND STRUGGLE, OF GLORY AND SORROW, OF SUFFERING AND TRIUMPH”

(INDIA) ANDRADA, Jacinto Freire de. The Life of Dom John de Castro, the Fourth Vice-Roy of India… Translated into English by Sir Peter Wyche, Knight. London: Henry Herringman, 1693. Small folio, early full dark brown speckled calf neatly rebacked, raised bands, red morocco spine label. $4500.

Expanded second edition of Andrada’s life of the Viceroy of India, João de Castro—dubbed “Castro Forte” by Camões in the Lusiads—with frontispiece portrait Faithorne and two copper-engraved plates, one folding. A fine copy.

In 1545 João de Castro was sent to the Indies. "The next three years were the hardest and most brilliant, as they were the last, of his life—years of battle and struggle, of glory and sorrow, of suffering and triumph. Valiantly seconded by his sons (one of whom, Fernão, was killed before Diu)… de Castro achieved such popularity by the overthrow of Mahmud, king of Gujarat, by the relief of Diu, and by the defeat of the great army of the Adil Khan, that he could contract a very large loan with the Goa merchants on the simple security of his moustache. These great deeds were followed by the capture of Broach, bu the complete subjugation of Malacca, and by the passage of Antonio Moniz into Ceylon; and in 1547 the great captain was appointed viceroy by João III" (Britannica, 11th ed.). Andrada's account, translated admirably by Sir Peter Wyche, eldest son of the English ambassador at Oporto, details the Portuguese discovery, exploration, conquest and control of territories in East India and the Spice Islands, and the conquerors' continuing efforts to secure their trade routes. First published in Portuguese in 1651; Wyche's English translation first appeared in 1664. Wing F2156. Engraved bookplate and shelf label.

Neat repair to verso of folding plate. A fine, handsome copy.

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