ACOSTA (Joseph). Lot n° 1

Natural and moral history of the Indies, both East and West... Paris, Marc Orry, 1598. In-8 of (8), 375, (17) ff., contemporary tawny calf binding, cold-framed on the covers with gilt fleurons at the corners and in the centre of the covers, trace of an inscription in gilt letters caviarized on the first cover, initials ANRO framing the central fleuron, red edges (posterior). Rare first edition in French of this great classic on the natural history of Latin America. The Jesuit José Acosta (1539 - 1600) spent 17 years in the missions of Mexico and Peru. The work of an eyewitness, his Natural History, published in Spanish in 1590 and written from a broader perspective than those of his predecessors Gomara and Oviedo, offers the first realistic and detailed description of the New World. "[Acosta] provided great detail in his descriptions of sailing directions, mineral wealth, trading commodities, Indian history . Consequently his work operated more strongly than any other in opening the eyes of the rest of Europe to the great wealth that Spain was drawing from America" (Sreeter). Binding restored, spine redone. Ex-libris La Rochefoucauld, duke of Bisaccia.