Description
First edition of Historia de las Ordenes Militares de Santiago, Calatrava, y Alcántara by Francisco Caro de Torres, published in 1629. An early history of the Spanish military orders, which includes details on the Spanish conquests in the New World, particularly Peru and Chile.
Quarto, [xvi leaves], 252 leaves. Full period vellum, outer edge of spine bound with string, title handwritten on spine. Remnant of leather strap on fore edge of covers. Engraved title page with illustrations by Flemish engraver Alardo de Popma. Two columns of text in Spanish. Dampstain to lower left corner of text block, limited impact to text. Occasional points of toning, faint foxing to last six leaves of text. Some loss to fore edge of leaf 139, limited impact to text. Mispagination of two leaves: leaf 144 misnumbered 154, 181 misnumbered 180, as found in other copies. Bookseller’s label on verso of front free endpaper. Bookplate of S.P. Scott (Samuel Parsons Scott) affixed to front free endpaper. Scott was a lawyer, banker and author, who endowed the library (Scott Memorial Library) at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. (Wilkinson / Lorenzo, 23889) (Sabin 10951) (Biblioteca Hispano-Chilena, 70, pp. 280-299)
Francisco Caro de Torres (c. 1550-1642) was a Spanish soldier, priest and author. In 1585 he accompanied Fernando de Torres, newly appointed Viceroy of Peru, on his voyage to the New World, arriving in Lima on November 30, 1586. During his stay in South America, he joined the forces sent to assist Alonso de Sotomayor, Governor of Chile, and later accompanied Sotomayor to Panama. Returning to Spain in 1596, Caro de Torres began work on his two important histories of the Spanish military, including Relación de los servicios que hizo a Su Magestad del Rey Don Felipe Segundo y Tercero, Don Alonso de Sotomayor (Madrid, 1620) and this work, Historia de las Ordenes Militares de Santiago, Calatrava, y Alcántara (Madrid, 1629).
