Noticias de Portugal escritas por … em que se declarão as grandes commodidades, que tem para crescer em gente, industria, commercio, riquezas, e forças militares por mar, e terra, as origens de todos os appelidos, e armas das familias nobres do Reyno, as moedas que correrão nesta provincia do tempo dos Romanos até o presente, e se referem varios elogios de principes, e varoens illustres portuguezes. Acrescentadas pelo P.D. Jozé Barbosa ... Terceira edição augmentada por Joaquim Francisco Monteiro de Campos Coelho, e Soiza.

Lisbon, Na Offic. de Antonio Gomes, 1791.. 2 volumes. 8°, contemporary mottled calf (worn, defective for less than 1 cm. at head and foot of spine of first volume, short tear at head of spine on second volume), smooth spines with gilt bands, crimson morocco lettering pieces with short title gilt, citron label with gilt volume numbers within a wreath; first volume recased with later marbled endleaves; second volume has contemporary marbled endleaves; all text block edges marbled. Small typographical headpiece at beginning of text in each volume. A few stains. In good condition. Old ink signature ("Torres") on front flyleaf verso of first volume. Armorial bookplate on front pastedown in each volume of the Condessa dos Arcos, Dona Maria Margarida (see below). (8 ll.), 319 pp.; (4 ll.), 297 pp., 4 engraved plates of coins from ancient times to the eighteenth century. *** Third edition of the author's most important work, which first appeared in Lisbon, 1655, with a second edition of Lisbon, 1740. The Noticias includes eight discourses: (1) on increasing the population of Portugal, (2) on improving the military organization of the kingdom, (3) the origins and coats-of-arms of Portuguese nobility, (4) Portuguese coinage, (5) the development of universities in the Iberian Peninsula in general, and Portugal in particular, (6) the evangelization of Guiné, (7) the causes of shipwrecks on the carreira da India, and (8) travel. A final section includes eulogies of Portuguese cardinals. The first discourse (I, 1-69) is an appeal for increasing the population of Portugal. Severim de Faria argues that a large population will promote industry and agriculture, and provide men for the army, navy and merchant marine. He cites China, whose large population provides manpower for industry and agriculture. Germany, Flanders, England and Italy are also cited as positive examples. As a counter-example he cites the kingdom of Granada, which declined after its Moorish population was expelled. In this discourse, Severim de Faria also mentions the Azores, Madeira, Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cabo Verde, São Tomé, Goa, Diu, Cochim, Colombo, the Malucas, Ormuz, Malaca and Mascate.The second discourse (I, 70-177) is a sweeping analysis of the military organization of Portugal from historical and contemporary points of view. Severim de Faria's topics include the role of the king, constable, and other officers, the composition of the army, military law, and the traditional hostility between Portugal and Castile. In discussing ordinance and armaments, he considers problems of supply in continental Portugal, Funchal, Ponta Delgada, Angra, Ribeira Grande in Cabo Verde, São Tomé, Salvador da Bahia, Olinda, and Rio de Janeiro. Also discussed are fortresses and the defense of the frontiers, the navy, the office of admiral, and composition of the fleets, including their deployment in Africa, India and Brazil and the problems of North African and French pirates. A section on the arming of merchant ships mentions São Tomé, Brazil, Flanders, and the Companhia da Bolsa do Brasil. The final part of this discourse (I, 163-177) deals with the military orders of Avis, Santiago, Christ (successor to the Templars in Portugal), and the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. The third discourse (I, 178-318) deals with the noble families of Portugal: their antiquity, and the origin of their names, titles, and coats of arms.The fourth discourse (II, 1-106) is on coinage, beginning with Roman coins that circulated in the province of Lusitania and continuing with the coinage of Visigothic kings and Arabs. The coinage of the kings of Portugal is covered from Dom Sancho I (the first king known with certainty to have operated a mint) to Dom João IV. Notably absent is the coinage of the Spanish monarchs D. Filipe II, III, and IV, who ruled Portugal as D. Filipe I, II, and III. Subsequent editors added comments on the coinage of D. João IV's successors through D. Maria I.Illustrations for the discourse on coinage vary from edition to edition. The 1655 edition of the Noticias has engravings within the text (pp. 151-191) that illustrate the recto and verso of 15 coins. The latest is a coin issued under D. João IV (r. 1640-1656) whose verso bears an image of N. Senhora da Conceição and the inscription "Tutelaris Regni". The 1741 edition has 18 images of coins within the text (pp. 146-186): the three additions date to 1695, 1726, and 1733. In our 1791 edition, the 18 illustrations have been shifted to four engraved plates. Although text was added to cover coins minted under D. José I and D. Maria I, the text makes no references to additional illustrations. Hence we assume Innocêncio's call for five engraved plates in this edition is in error. The fifth discourse (II, 106-143) begins with an essay on the universities of Spain, then discusses the study of science in Portugal and goes on to brief mentions of the universities at Coimbra, Évora, Salamanca, Toledo, Siguença, Alcalá de Henares, Osma, Ávila, Valladolid, Oropesa, Ossuna, Sevilla, Granada, Baeça, Murcia, Santiago de Compostela, Onhate, Oviedo, Huesca, Zaragoza, Lerida, Perpignan, Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, Valencia, Luchente, Origuela, Gandia, Hirache, Estella, and Pamplona. Some of these became highly respected institutions; others were established but achieved little.The sixth discourse (II, 143-177) is titled "Sobre a propagaçam do evangelho nas Provincias de Guiné". Severim de Faria mentions not only Guiné but Cabo Verde, Goa, the Congo, Luanda, Cacheu, Mina, São Tomé, and Sierra Leão. Also included are brief references to martyrs in Japan, China, Siam, India, "Cafraria" (i.e., Southeast Africa), and Brazil.The seventh discourse (II, 178-193) considers why so many ships returning to Portugal from India were wrecked, mentioning the famous account of João Baptista Lavanha on the São Alberto. Severim de Faria points out the superiority of English and Dutch vessels, noting that at this time, the Dutch were waging war against Portugal in India and Brazil. The eighth discourse (II, 193-215) discusses when and where travel can be beneficial. The Noticias ends with eulogies of twenty Portuguese who achieved the rank of cardinal in the Catholic Church (II, 215-296).Severim de Faria (1583-1655), a native of Lisbon, is best known for this work and his Discursos varios politicos, Évora 1624. His Relação universal do que succedeu em Portugal …, Lisbon 1626, is considered the first periodical published in Portugal, and includes a famous account of the loss and reconquest of Bahia. Severim de Faria was Resende's successor in archeology, and his fame came to rival that of his uncle; he also collected a choice library of rare books. Innocêncio describes Severim de Faria as "um escriptor geralmente respeitavel, e que nas suas obras deixou muito bons subsidios para a historia civil, não menos que para a da litteratura, da lingua, e da critica litteraria em Portugal. A sua dicção e geralmente pura e fluente …."Provenance: D. Maria Margarida José de Jesus Maria Francisco Xavier de Mendonça (1897-1982) was 12.ª Condessa dos Arcos de Valdevez, married to D. José Manuel de Noronha e Brito de Meneses de Alarcão. She was of the family of the Condes de Azambuja, the Duques de Loulé, and the Condes de Mossâmedes. See Grande enciclopédia III, 149.*** Innocêncio VI, 107-8: calling for 5 plates, apparently in error (see above). Barbosa Machado III, 369-72. Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 14609 (at University of London). Kress, Luso-Brazilian Economic Literature before 1850, p. 5. Martins de Carvalho, Dicionário bibliográfico militar português (1979) II. 137. For the bookplate, see Avelar Duarte, Ex-libris portugueses heráldicos (1990) 1108. Porbase locates copies at only two institutions: Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (10 copies) and Universidade Católica Portuguesa (4 copies). Jisc repeats University of London and adds Manchester University (but according to their catalogue, they hold a digitized copy).