Biblioteca española.

Madrid, Imprenta Real de la Gazeta, 1781-1786.. First and Only Edition. 2 volumes. Large folio (35.5 x 24 cm.), contemporary marbled wrappers (spines chipping, lower wrapper of volume I nearly detached), in recent crimson quarter morocco folding case with marbled sides. Uncut. Ink notes in margin of I, 517; small wormholes in upper margin of several quires of volume II, not touching text. In very good to fine condition. (17 ll.), 668 pp., (84 ll.); (5 ll.), 748 pp., (1 l.). *** FIRST and ONLY EDITION of this extremely interesting bibliography of Iberian rabbinical literature, a landmark in the development of Spanish bibliography. The first volume contains copious notes and bibliographical accounts of the Sephardic rabbinical writers from the earliest times to the end of the thirteenth century; the intention was to continue the work to the author’s own day. It has extensive quotations, some in Hebrew, from the authors listed. The second volume deals with Spanish Christian writers from the second to the end of the thirteenth century. The work is considered valuable in part for its references to manuscripts and unpublished books and poems. For example, the index of volume I includes a list of "Traducciones españolas mss. e impressas de toda la Biblia, y las de algunos de sus libros" (ff. Tttt3v–Xxxx1v).Rodriguez de Castro (1739–ca. 1795) was a Spanish Christian rabbinic scholar who was probably of Jewish descent. As librarian to the King of Spain (to whom he dedicated this work), he had access to the rich store of literary treasures at the Escorial.*** Palau 273764. Aguilar Piñal 1708. Salvá 2491. Heredia 8091. Yerushalmi, Introduction to the revised edition of Kayserling's Bibliografia española-portugueza-judaica p. xii. Sempere y Guarinos II, 163-4. Maggs, Spanish Books 880. Ticknor Catalogue p. 306. See also Aguilar Piñal, ed., História literária de España en el siglo XVIII, pp. 521-2 and throughout, and Fernández Sánchez, História de la bibliografía en España, pp. 105-7 and throughout.