Libro primo [-secondo] delle lettere

8vo. Two volumes. I: (32), 453, (3) pp. The last leaf is a blank. *^-**⁸, A-Z⁸, AA-EE⁸, FF⁴. With the printer's device on title-page and at the end; II: (4), 260 leaves. A-Z⁸, AA-KK⁸. With the printer's device on title-page and at the end. Entry of ownership by Giovanni Battista Zuccari (April 10, 1683). Contemporary limp vellum.

Adams, G-1486 (book I); Bongi, I, pp. 465-466 and 205; Basso, pp. 96-97; Edit 16, CNCE 22187 and CNCE 22170.

TENTH ITALIAN EDITION of book I and SECOND ITALIAN EDITION of book II. The Epístolas familiares by Antonio de Guevara, after their first appearance at Valladolid in 1539-1541, became an European bestseller. They were reprinted several times and translated into English (The Familiar Golden Epistles, London, 1574), German (Guldene Sendschreiben, München, 1598-1599), French (Les epistres dorées moralles et familières, Lyons, 1556), and Italian (libro primo, Venezia, 1545; libro secondo, Venezia, 1546; libro terzo, Venezia, 1557; libro primo-quarto, Venezia, 1565).

The Italian translation is due to Domingo de Gaztelu, secretary to the Spanish ambassador in Venice Don Hurtado de Mendoza. Gaztelu dedicates the first book to Cristoforo Madruzzo (Venice, April 7, 1545), and the second to Cosimo de' Medici (Venezia, September 15, 1546).

“El género epistolar español no llega a la cumbre con Guevara: la había alcanzando mucho antes con las Letras de Hernando del Pulgar; […] Las Epístolas familiares marcan el punto en le que el género epistolar va destilándose en modo. En Guevara, hay una consciente utilización de la retórica epistolar y de sus estrategias textuales para otros fines, para otros géneros. Las Epístolas familiares tienen formam de epístolas, sí, pero cuando las leemos descubrimos que apenas queda nada de aquella cálida (fingida, pero cálida) conversación entre amigos que eran las colecciones a las que nos remite el títuolo guevariano, Epistulae ad familiares de Cicerón y Familiarum rerum libri de Petrarca. Descubrimos en cambio una huida hacia adelante, un acusado family resemblance con los Essais de Montaigne del 1580. El continente sumergido de escritura guevariana comienza a emerger, y en él descubrimos pasajes y paisajes familiares. La lectura de las Epístolas familiares se hace siempre con muchos sobresaltos, porque a cada paso nos topamos con figuras, puntos de vista, malicias narrativas y voces cuyos ecos reconoceremos en el Lazarillo, en el Guzmán y en el Quijote” (A. Orejudo, Las epistolas familiares de Antonio de Guevara en el contexto epistolar del Renacimiento, Madison, WI, 1994, pp. 123-124).

The letters of book I are mainly addressed to people at the imperial court and include humanist debates, sermons, comments on moral philosophy, policy and contemporary events. For their style they are considered as antecedents to the modern ‘essay'. The influence of the letters of famous epistle writers as Cicero, Petrarch or Erasmus is quite evident. On the other hand the second book is more concerned with devotional and ascetic topics.

“Guevara llamó a sus epístolas, familiares, y pocas, en realidad, justifican este nombre. Puede aplicarse sin gran violencia a las que, dirigidas a personajes de su tiempo, le dan ocasión para referirse a casos de actualidad, y muchas veces proprios, así como a intercalar reflexiones ingeniosas y anécdotas pintorescas, que son lo más sabroso y original de sus cartas. Entre ellas entrevera otras más severas y doctrinales y numerosos sermones y razonamientos qui sin duda se predicaron o dijeron en las ocasiones que suele señalar en las rubrícas de las epístolas” (A. de Guevara, Epistolas Familiares. Libro primero [-segundo], J.M. de Cossio, ed., Madrid, 1950-1952, I, p. XI).

In Italy several passages of Guevara's letters were plagiarized by Anton Francesco Doni (cf. P. Pellizzari, I plagi nei ‘Mondi'. L'inserzione di alcune ‘Epistolae familiares' di Antonio de Guevara, in: “Anton Francesco Doni, I Mondi e gli Inferni”, Torino, 1994, pp. 417-441).

We have decided to put in the following list only the letters with an explicit recipient, even though some of them may probably be fictitious. The dates given within square brackets are taken from the modern Spanish edition by J.M. de Cossio mentioned above.

(Book I:)

Manrique, Alfonso, Archbishop of Sevilla, and Manrique, Antonio, Earl of Nájera. (p. 37)

Velasco, Iñigo de, Constable of Castilla. Vittoria, January 13, 1522 (p. 48)

Zuñiga, Antonio de. Medina de Rioseco, February 18, 1522 (p. 54)

[Zuñiga y Avellaneda, Francisco de], Earl of Miranda. Madrid, June 10, 1536 [recte 1526] (p. 59)

Giron, Pedro. Burgos, September 15, 1523 (p. 68)

Velasco, Iñigo de, Constable of Castilla. Valladolid, October 8, 1525 (p. 74)

[Avalos, Fernando Francesco d'], Marquis of Pescara. Valladolid, August 19, 1524 (p. 82)

Albornoz, Alonso de. Medina del Campo, March 22 [recte 12], 1523 (p. 90)

Cordoba, Gonzalo Fernandez de. Medina del Campo, January 8, 1512 (p. 95)

Enriquez, Enrique. Medina del Campo, June 5, 1537 [recte 1522] (p. 104)

Cueva, Antonio de la. Toledo, June 30, 1525 (p. 108)

Benavides, Juan de. Soria, March 4, 1518 (p. 113)

[Fajardo y Chacón, Pedro], Marquis de los Velez. Medina del Campo, January [recte July] 18, 1532 (p. 119)

[Avellaneda, Diego de], Bishop of Tui. Granada, May 12, 1531 (p. 125)

Guardian of Alcalà. Madrid, January 8, 1523 [recte 1524] (p. 129)

Camiña, Diego de. Valladolid, October 26, 1520 (p. 134)

Mendoza, Juan de. Toledo, April 6, 1523 (p. 138)

Vique, Hieronymo. Granada, July 20, 1525 (p. 145)

id. Toledo, April 3, 1526 (p. 150)

Palamos, Juan de (p. 153)

Toledo, Fadrique de, Duke of Alba. Burgos, October 15, 1524 (p. 158)

Acuña, Pedro de, Earl of Buondia. Madrid, January 18, 1535 (p. 162)

Manrique, Iñigo de. Toledo, August 22 [recte 25], 1529 (p. 166)

Acuña, Pedro de, Earl of Buondia. Valladolid, November 3, n.y. (p. 179)

Enriquez, Fadrique. Madrid, October 15, 1529 (p. 197)

id. Madrid, November 11, 1528 (p. 202)

Abbot of Monserrat. Valladolid, January 7, 1535 (p. 206)

Enriquez, Fadrique. Madrid, March 25, 1529 [?] (p. 211)

Bravo, Luis. Toledo, August 9 [recte 7], 1529 (p. 216)

id. Burgos, February 24, 1523 (p. 123, i.e. 223)

Guevara, Diego de. Madrid, March 2 [recte 11], 1533 (p. 232)

Gil, Gonzalo. Medina de Rioseco, January 22, 1523 (p. 238)

Abbot of San Pedro de Cardeña. Madrid, March 2, 1523 [recte March 12, 1522] (p. 242)

Manso, President of Valladolid. Toledo, August 22 [recte 20], 1532 [recte 1522] (p. 245)

Pimentel, Alonso, Earl of Benavente. Toledo, December 12, 1526 (p. 249)

Velasco, Iñigo de. Valladolid, August 8, 1526 (p. 265)

id. Madrid, January 6, 1524 (p. 267)

Fonseca, Alfonso de, Bishop of Burgos. Segovia, May 22 [recte 12], 1523 (p. 271)

Rubín, Mosén. Madrid, March 3, 1526 [recte 1527] (p. 280)

to a secret friend (p. 286)

Suares, Alonso, Governor of Murcia. Granda, December 4, 1531 (p. 291)

Melgar, [Pedro Hernández de]. Madrid, December 27, 1525 (p. 297)

Puche, Mosén. Granada, May 4, 1524 (p. 319)

Toledo, Fadrique de, Earl of Alba. Madrid, January 14, 1526 (p. 353)

Coronel, [?]. Medina, Mai 8, 1523 (p. 359)

Perelloso, Juan. Burgos, January 30, 1523 (p 362)

Toledo, Hernando de. Burgos, March 7, 1523 (p. 365)

Rubín, Mosén. Granada, February 12, 1526 (p. 371)

Angulo Commendator. Logroño, August 11, 1523 (p. 376)

Giron, Pedro. Valladolid [España], April 16, 1524 (p. 384)

Enriquez, Enrique. Granada, May 16, 1531 [recte 1522] (p. 402)

Portugal, Fadrique de, Archbishop of Saragoza. (p. 417)

Fadrique, Almirante. Valladolid, March 30, 1531 [recte 1534] (p. 426)

Tamayo, [Juan?], Governor. Arévalo, November 11, 1522 (p. 439)

Hinestrosa Sarmiento, Alcaide. Burgos, 1534 (p. 442)

Osorio, Iñigo (p. 446)

Cerezeda, Captain. Valladolid, May 6, 1522 (p. 449)

(Book II:)

Mendoza, Francisco de, Bishop of Palencia. Avila, November 22, 1523 [recte 1533] (l. 28v)

Sunyer, [Juan]. Palencia, October 11, 1528 (l. 100r)

Bracamonte, Alonso de. [Palencia, February 8, 1522] (l. 105v)

Biamonte, Juan de. [Burgos, May 8, 1530] (l. 138r)

Morejon, Rodrigo. Palencia, December 9, 1523 [recte 1524] (l. 143r)

Vega, Garcisanchez de la (l. 146r)

Manrique, Alonso. Madrid, August 12, 1527 (l. 148r)

Guevara, Francisca de. Burgos, January 3, 1519 (l. 154v)

Aguilera, Comendador. [Arevalo, May 6, 1523] (l. 160v)

to a Neapolitan Jewish. Roma, March 25, 1537 (l. 162r)

Manrique, Francisco. Avila, January 8, 1527 (l. 166v)

Enriquez, Rodrigo. Avila, August 30, 1527 [recte 1528] (l. 171r)

Cueva, Beltran de la, Earl of Alburquerque. Valladolid, January 26, 1540 [recte 1511] (l. 184r)

to a secret friend. Beniarjo, May 22, 1544 [recte 1524] (l. 218r)

[Espinel], Alonso, Corregidor de Oviedo. Valencia, February 12, 1524 (l. 222r)

[Merino, Esteban Gabriel], Archbishop of Bari. Granada, October 11, 1522 (l. 231v)

to the author's niece. Burgos, February 8, 1524 (l. 235r)

[Heinrich III], Earl of Nassau and Marquis of Cenete. Toledo, January 7, 1528 [recte 1533] (l. 244r)

Tello, Nuño. Logroño, May 3, 1526 (l. 250v)

Messer Pere Pollastre. Zaragoza, October 6, 1529 (l. 253v)

[Lerma, Pedro de], Abbot of Compludo. Pincia, May 12, 1512 (l. 259r)

The following 7 letters present in the first book of the Spanish edition are inexplicably omitted in the Italian version:

[Manso, Pedro González], Bishop of Badajoz (Valladolid, April 20, 1526)

Velasco, Iñigo de. N.pl., n.d.

id. (Madrid, May 12, 1524)

Acuña, Antonio de, Bishop of Zamora (Medina de Rioseco, December 20, 1521)

id. (Tordesillas, March 10, 1522)

Padilla, Juan de (Medina del Campo, March 8, 1521)

Padilla, Maria de (Medina de Rioseco, January 16, 1522)

Antonio de Guevara was the major prose writer of sixteenth century Spain. The enormous success of his works, made him the first Spanish writer to achieve a status comparable to that of the great authors of antiquity. He was born around 1481 in the city of Treceño  and moved in 1492 to the royal court, where he stayed until the mid 1510s. Around 1506 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1521 Charles V summoned him to serve as preacher in the royal chapel, a post that he occupied, however, only two years later. In 1525 and 1526 he was sent to Valencia and Granada as a commissioner of the Inquisition to evangelize the Islamic population. As a reward, the emperor appointed him royal chronicler.

In 1528 Guevara wrote the Libro aureo de Marco Aurelio, followed a year later by the Libro llamado Relox de principes, a reworking of the previous book, both of which became two of the most frequently published works in Europe. In 1529 he was elected bishop of Guadix, and in 1537 bishop of Mondoñedo. Three years later, probably because he felt uncomfortable, he asked for a different position in Valladolid, which, however, was denied to him. His disappointment is clearly manifest in his last works, including the second book of letters, which became more spiritual and ascetic. He died in 1545, while he was finishing La segunda parte del libro llamado Monte Calvario. By that time he had gained international renown and his writing where widely read and imitated all over Europe (cf. E. Grey, Guevara, A forgotten Renaissance Author, The Hague, 1973 passim; see also J.R. Jones, Antonio de Guevara, Boston, 1975, passim; and A. Redondo, Antonio de Guevara (1480?-1545) et l'Espagne de son temps. De la carrière officielle aux oeuvres politico-morales, Genève, 1976, passim)

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