A fine copy, in its absolutely genuine condition, of the second edition of this guide to Tagalog, to-date a national language of the Philippines. Totanes (1688 – 1748) was a Spanish Franciscan Friar and missionary to Mexico and the Philippines; when 17 years old, Totanes entered the Franciscan Order, which would eventually take him to the Philippines, at age 26. That he did on board the Virgen de Atocha, first arriving to Mexico, and a year later –after teaching philosophy and theology at the Convento de San Agustin- sailed from Acapulco towards Manila. He resided in the Philippines for c. 30 years, working with natives and eventually appointed Prior to the Convent of Manila. “This Arte by Father Totanes is considered the best of all the writings by whose help the Spaniards learnt the Tagala language.
Taking it is a whole it is based on the work of father San José, whose first edition was published in 1610; but as it was published so many years later it also combines the various improvements introduced by the Dominican and other writers… Being printed entirely on rice paper, copies of this work are usually damaged or very badly wormed” (Maggs Bros, Spanish Books, 1927).
According to Retana, this is the best of all manuals on the Tagalog language. It is today spoken by almost 25 million people in the Philippines –mostly-, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; nowadays, it is discussed if the Filipino language is nothing other than the Tagalog, with influence of English. The Arte is a primary source to the language, and one of the most significant Asian printings of the 18th century in the field of linguistics.
Medina, Brevísimo epítome de la imprenta en Manila, 329-330. Palau 338006. Pardo de Tavera, Biblioteca Filipina 2718.