24        CAMÕES, Luis Vaz de (1524-1580). Os Lusiadas. 4to. [6], 308 ff., text in italic letter, commentary in roman letter, woodcut arms of Portugal on title and that of the dedicatee on +2v. 17th century calf, spine lavishly gilt, with red label. Somewhat dampstained, first two leaves slightly frayed at top edge. Em Lisboa, por Pedro Crasbeeck, 1613.    

 First annotated edition containing the first biography of the author.

"Also highly relevant (and arguably more so) is the work of the scholar Father Manuel Correia (Montenegro), who compiled the commentary to the text of the 1613 edition of Camoes's epic poem (to which Mariz's biography of Camoes provides the introduction). Mariz was born around 1550, spending his early career in Coimbra, working in the book trade at the University. He later transferred to Lisbon, becoming an escrivao at the Torre do Tombo, in which capacity he is likely to have had some acquaintance with Camoes in the late 1570s ... Apart from the six pages of biography that he provides at the beginning of the 1613 edition of Os Lusiadas, it is clear from his comments on the last two pages of the biographical introduction that he also put the finishing editorial touches to Correia's commentary. He died in 1615" (Clive Willis, Camões, China and Macau, in Portuguese Studies, vol. 17, 2001, pp. 86-99).

Brito Aranho records one of the four copies in the Bibliotheca Nacional, Lisbon, as having on the title a woodcut device (perhaps of the bookseller Domingos Fernandes) instead of the arms of Portugal.

The copy at hand contains an interesting handwritten subject index (38 pp.) at the end.

 Provenance: Contemporary signature in ink on title (crabbed).

References: Brito Aranha 18; Canto 18; Early Portuguese Books III, 49.

Price: CHF 9000