Essays in Librarianship and BibliographyGarnett, Richard
Science
Essays in Librarianship and Bibliography
Garnett, Richard
Bibliography -- Methodology; British Museum; Library science
This was not, however, precisely the case with the first book printed in
India, or printed by Europeans in any part of the Old World outside of
Europe, although it was a religious book, "The Spiritual Compendium of
the Christian Life," by Gaspar de Leão, first Archbishop of Goa (Goa,
1561). The author had come out as Archbishop in 1560, and this book
appears to be either the full text or an abridgment of the sermons
preached by him in the visitation of his diocese in that year. It is
much to be hoped that a book so memorable for the circumstances of its
publication may be still extant; but Silva, in his Portuguese
bibliographical dictionary, does not, as he usually does when he can,
intimate the existence of a copy in the National Library of Lisbon or
elsewhere; nor does Martin Antonio Fernandes allude to the existence of
it, or any other of Archbishop Leão's writings at Goa, in the sermon
which he preached on the occasion of the translation of his remains in
1864. Archbishop Leão printed two other books at Goa—a tract against
the Jews, and another against the Mahometans; but these were posterior
to the second Goa book, a copy of which is in the British Museum—the
"Dialogues on Indian Simples and Drugs," by Garcia da Horta, printed at
Goa in 1563. This is a work of great merit, said to contain the first
account of Asiatic cholera. It is also remarkable as the first book in
which any production of Camoens was given to the world; for, although
the Lusian bard had written much, he had published nothing previous to
the appearance of a complimentary copy of verses to da Horta, prefixed
to this book. The Museum is, no doubt, indebted for its copy of this
very rare work to its founder, Sir Hans Sloane, for whom it would have
much interest. A Latin translation went through many editions, and the
original was reprinted in 1872.
Thirteen books are enumerated by Ribeiro dos Sanctos as having been
published at Goa up to 1655, and there were probably others of a merely
ephemeral character. The most interesting are a "Life of St. Peter in
Marathi," by Estevão da Cruz, 1634—if not a translation, perhaps the
first book, other than a catechism, written by a European in an Indian
vernacular; and the record of the proclamation of John IV. in 1641, when
Portugal recovered her independence. This book, which is in the British
Museum, indicates the lowest stage of typographical debasement, but is
interesting from its patriotic feeling.
Two Tamil books are said to have been printed by the Jesuits in 1577 and
1598 respectively, at Ambalakata, a place on the Malabar coast, probably
now ruined or known by some other name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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