ZUMARRAGA Juan de Botschafft des Grossmachtigsten Konigs David auss dem grossen un hohen Morenland den man gemeinlich nennet Priester Johan an Babst Clemens den Sibenden… Zu lezt Ein Sendbrieff des Bischoffs der grossen stadt Temixtitan in der Newen erfundenn welt…

Harrisse, 177 ; Sabin, 106399 ; J.C.B., I, p.107 ; Alden-Landis, A533/1 (indicates Bonn as the place of printing).

First German language edition of this very rare and highly important early Americana.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part contains a description of Ethiopia, the account of Prester John, and letters to the King of Portugal. The second part is of great importance to America, as it contains Zumarraga’s letter to the Franciscan General Chapter in Toulouse, written in 1532, describing the establishment and progress of the missions in Mexico for the education and conversion of the Indians. This text was first published in Latin in Cortés’ De Insulis nuper Inventis, 1532.

Juan de Zumárraga was born in Tavira de Durango, Biscay, in 1468. He entered the Franciscan order at a young age. On 20 December 1527, Zumárraga was recommended by Charles V for the position of first bishop of Mexico. Without having been consecrated and with only the title of bishop-elect and protector of the Indians, he left Spain with the first civil officials, the audiencia (a court with executive functions), towards the end of August 1528, and arrived in Mexico on 6 December.

Shortly after his arrival in Mexico in 1528, he came into conflict with the audiencia, which Charles V had appointed to govern Mexico in place of Hernán Cortés. The judges proved to be greedy and corrupt men whose main concern was to enrich themselves at the expense of the Indians and Cortés’ faction. As Zumárraga combined his episcopal office with that of protector of the Indians, he attempted to put an end to the abuses committed against the natives.

The quarrel between Zumárraga and the judges reached such a climax that he excommunicated the guilty parties and placed Mexico City under interdict. Summoned to Spain in 1532 to justify his actions, the court ruled in his favor. The first audiencia was dismissed and replaced by competent and conscientious judges with whom Zumárraga had excellent relations.

Zumárraga made an important contribution to the education of young Indians and to Mexican culture in general. With the help of Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza, he founded the famous Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco in 1536 to educate the sons of Indian chiefs. Before this school began to decline in the second half of the 16th century, it had trained a generation of Indian scholars who helped the Spanish friars write important works on the history, religion and customs of the ancient Mexicans. Zumárraga also built hospitals, introduced printing to Mexico in 1539, and wrote and published books for the religious instruction of the Indians.

Zumárraga was appointed the first archbishop of Mexico in 1547. He died on 3 June 1548 in Mexico City. Strongly influenced by the Christian humanism of Erasmus and Thomas More, Zumárraga drew heavily on Erasmus’s books in preparing his own writings.

Very fine copy, bound by Bedford for the important American bookseller Henry Stevens.