VASCONCELOS (Pe. Simão de). CHRONICA da Companhia de Jesv do Estado do Brasil. Lisboa, 1663.

VASCONCELOS (Pe. Simão de). CHRONICA da Companhia de Jesv do Estado do Brasil. Lisboa, 1663.

VASCONCELOS (Pe. Simão de)
CHRONICA da Companhia de Jesv do Estado do Brasil. e do qve obrarão sevs filhos nesta parte do novo mundo. Tomo primeiro da entrada da Companhia de Jesv nas partes do Brasil e dos fvndamentos qve nellas lançárão, & continuarão seus Religiosos em quanto alli trabalhou o Padre Manoel da Nobrega Fundador, & primeiro Prouincial desta Prouincia, com sua vida, & morte digna de memoria: e Algvãs notiicias antecedentes curiosas, e necessarias das cousas daquelle Estado. Lisboa: Na Officina de Henrique Valente de Oliveira, 1663.

+4, ++2, A-Y4, Z1, a2, A-Z, Aa-Zz. Aaa-Vvv, a4, b2; portada, [6], 178, 185-188, 528, [12] pp.; 350 mm.

FIRST edition of what is considered by many bibliographers as one of the most beautiful productions of Portuguese presses of the 17th century and a “perennial source of news and subsidies for the History of Brazil and the Religious Missions that, during the years 1549 to 1570, preached and spread the Christian faith among the indigenous people of this vast American region” [Samodães]. Inocêncio says: “It is one of the best editions of that century, both in terms of the grandeur and consistency of the paper, as in terms of the beauty of the printing characters”. The typographic work uses beautiful Roman and Italic characters of various sizes, having as decorative elements capitulares, finials and several headers formed by small vignettes. The beautiful cover was engraved by Albert Clowet, a native of Antwerp, a disciple of Bloemaert in Rome. The open copper plate burin contains a frame formed by two trees on which fruits and domestic animals can be seen. In the center, a caravel over a stretch of sea, with the letters IHS on the stern and on the leftmost sail the words “VNVS NON SVFFICIT ORBIS”. In the foreground, on a pedestal, on which are nautical instruments, the name of the work and the author opens. Written in two parts: the first reports the discovery of Brazil, the geographical description of its lands, coasts, rivers, ports, capes, coves and mountain ranges bordering the sea, it answers the questions “Who were the first progenitors of the Indians, in what time? they entered Brazil, where they came from, where and in what way they entered and how they did not preserve their colors, languages and customs”; the second part deals exclusively with the Society of Jesus in Brazil since 1549. It also has the first impression of the poem by José de Anchieta about the Virgin Mary. Father Simão de Vasconcelos had some difficulties in getting this work published. This difficulty stems from the fact that Fr. Jacinto de Magistris, Visitor of Brazil, did not relate very well to the author of the work, his competitor when he was nominated for Visitor. Despite having the canonical approvals of three reviewers and Father General, the Visitor tried to prevent the printing, based on the opinions of Fathers António Vieira, Baltazar Teles and Manuel Luís who attested to the lack of style of Fr. Simon de Vasconcelos. But the approval of Francisco Brandão, the chief chronicler of the Kingdom, put an end to the matter. Not satisfied, Fr. Jacinto de Magistris unfavorably informed Father General about the last seven chapters of the first part of the Chronicle, which responded with an explanation of whether paradise would not be in Portuguese America. Despite having already given approval, Father General ordered that part to be crossed out. When the order arrived in Lisbon, Henrique Valente de Oliveira had already printed ten copies that Fr. Simão de Vasconcelos distributed it to his friends. As the conclusion of the Background News, Fr. Jacinto de Magistris saw no difficulty in suppressing the seven chapters, replacing them with a final page. This order must have been very well executed, as none of the printed copies with these censored pages have yet appeared. This is the reason why the sheets numbered 179 to 184 are missing.

¶ Brunet, II, c. 846; Palha, 2517; Pinto Matos, p. 554; Samodães, 3443; Inocêncio, VII, p. 286; Travel and Exploration, 1127; Bdm2, p. 888; H. Grav. Artistica, I, n. 504