The Amusing Adventures Of Guzman of Alfaraque. by ALEMAN (Mateo) - 1883

A Spanish Novel By Mateo Aleman. Translated by Edward Lowdell. Illustrated with engravings on steel from designs by Staal. London: Vizetelly & Co., 42 Catherine Street, Strand, 1883. Extra cr.8vo; fine engraved frontispiece and two plates drawn and engraved by G. Staal, all with red captions and tissue guards and on thick paper; wood-engraved head- and tail- pieces and initial letters to the chapters throughout; integral advertisement leaf at end; pp.[2]+viii+478+[ii]; diagonally very-fine-ribbed brown cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides and spine, pictorially blocked and lettered gilt on front cover, lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, others mainly trimmed; end-papers faced greenish black. Insignificant wear to cloth at head of front joint; half-title and advertisement leaf foxed by contact with the end-papers; first tissue a little foxed; back end-paper cracked; otherwise a fine copy of a very handsome book. The first printing of this translation of a book originally published in Spanish between 1599 and 1602, and first translated into English by Thomas Mabbe in 1622 (as ‘The Rogue’). Several editions appeared thereafter including a one by Brady in 1821. The present translator “has sought to divest the work of the tedious and to modern notion misplaced disquisitions on morality and religion with which the author, in accordance with the spirit and custom of his time, has interlarded and overloaded his subject” - translator’s Preface. All books listed by Robert Temple are first editions unless otherwise stated.