Compendio de la historia geográfica, natural y civil del Reyno de Chile by Molina, Juan Ignacio, Padre - 1788

La traducción Española de esta obra fundamental sobre Chile; First Spanish edition of a fundamental 18th century work on Chili by a Chilean. 1788-95. Madrid. Antonio de Sancha. Two volumes in 8vo (208 mm x 142 mm). xx + 418 + 1 [blank]; xvi + 382 + 1 ff. + 1 [blank] + 8 plates & maps. Contemporary calf, spine gilt with raised bands forming compartments, two morocco labels lettered in gilt, most attractive bindings in very good condition, only slightly rubbed. A fine copy, with only a few scattered foxing spots and mainly marginal worm holes to several leaves in second volume, occasionally touching headlines, heavier on places but overall clean and fresh. First Spanish edition -first printed in Italian during the author´s exile. According to Sabin, the Spanish translation is more complete than the original Italian, with several notes from the translator to the second part. The work deals with the country´s history, costumes, natural history and natives. Illustrated with three folding maps of Chili –two regional and the other including the Coast and handsomely decorated with a cartouche-, a frontispiece with the portrait of the author, three folding tables showing the state of Chili and one folding plan of the parks and fortresses in the border of Arauco. Molina (1740 – 1829) was a Chilean historian, naturalist and Jesuit Priest –entering the Order at 15. The fact that he was born in Chili makes him arguably one of the first Chilean historians born in Chili; after the 1767 expulsion of the Jesuits, he exiled to Bologna, from where his works where published; the later years of his life where his most productive, having being father of a progressive evolutionary theory which gained him an investigation from the Church. Molina, known for his linguistic skills, included a Chilean vocabulary at the end. Primera edición en castellano, publicada por primera vez en italiano. Según Sabin, la traducción Española es más completa que la original italiana, habiendo sido incluidas muchas notas por el traductor a la segunda parte. Contiene un ensayo en el idioma Chileno, un vocabulario y una lista de los escritores de Chile. Entre las ilustraciones se encuentra un mapa desplegable de Chile orientado de Oeste a Este o de Norte a Sur con un cartucho decorativo en el extremo inferior izquierdo, constituye una de las piezas cartográficas fundamentales de Chile, un mapa regional, también desplegable, grabados que representan diversas escenas y un retrato del autor como frontispicio. Antonio de Sancha es considerado como uno de los mejores impresores del siglo XVIII de España. Palau, 174563. Sabin, 49889.