“THE APPLAUSE WITH WHICH THIS NEW GENRE WAS RECEIVED INDUCED LOPE TO WRITE A GREAT MANY OF THEM, SO THAT HIS NAME BECAME WIDELY KNOWN”: FOUR FAMOUS PLAYS, TWO BY LOPE DE VEGA, INCLUDING HIS FIRST THREE-ACT PLAY, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN SPAIN—THE CHATSWORTH COPY

VEGA CARPIO, Lope de, and GÓNGORA, Luis de. Quatro Comedias Famosas… Recopiladas por Antonio Sanchez. Madrid: L[uis] S[anchez] for Juan Berrillo, 1617. Small octavo, 19th-century tan straight-grain morocco rebacked with original elaborately gilt-decorated spine laid down, raised bands, Devonshire monogram in gilt on both covers, all edges gilt. Housed in custom half morocco clamshell box.

Earliest obtainable edition of this collection of four popular plays from the Spanish Golden Age, including Lope de Vega’s very first three-act comedy, “La Pastoral de Jacinto” (here under the title “Los Jacintos, y Zeloso de si Mismo”), which created a new theatrical genre that in short order would become the dominant mode in Spain and elsewhere. Also includes “El Lacayo Fingido” by Lope de Vega, “Las Firmezas de Isabela” by Luis de Góngora, and the anonymous “Las Burlas y Enredos de Benito.” From the distinguished collection of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth, with the Chatsworth bookplate and the Devonshire monogram in gilt on both covers.

Felix Lope de Vega Carpio is widely regarded as the founder of Spanish theater. Hailed as the foremost author of his day, he was lauded by Cervantes as a “prodigy of nature” for his prolific and immensely popular and influential output; he was as powerful a literary force in 17th-century Spain as Voltaire would later become in France. Lope de Vega penned La Pastoral de Jacinto—or, as here, El Zeloso de si Mismo—early in his career, to gain the favor of Don Jerónimo Manrique, the Bishop of Ávila, who became an important patron for the young playwright. This comedia “was the first play in three acts that he wrote; for up to this time a Comedia consisted only of a dialogue of four persons, which did not exceed three sheets, and of these Lope had written many. The applause with which this nuevo género de Comedias was received induced Lope to write a great many of them, so that his name became widely known” (Rennert, quoting Lope’s friend Montalvan). The License suggests that this text is a reprint of the Córdoba 1613 edition. Palau states that two earlier editions of this work—Madrid, 1612 and Córdoba, 1613—are reported to exist, but that he has been unable to trace any copies. While three copies of this Madrid 1617 edition are listed in OCLC, only one copy of the Córdoba 1613 edition and no copies of the purported Madrid 1612 edition are listed there. Woodcut arms of the dedicatee on the title page. Heredia 2366. Palau 104661. Catalogue of the Library at Chatsworth II (1879), 194. Rennert, The Life of Lope de Vega. Bookplates, including that of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth, and with the Devonshire monogram in gilt on both covers.

Tiny marginal tears mended (page 6), minor marginal spotting. Monogrammed morocco-gilt binding lightly rubbed, near-fine and quite handsome. An excellent copy, of this very scarce early collection of drama from the Spanish Golden Age, with distinguished provenance.