Velasco y Zorrilla, Álvarez de
First edition, an exceptional rarity: perhaps the first work of poetry from a Colombian author to be printed, largely a tribute to Sor Juana, of whom the author was an admirer, finely illustrated, and including the famous portrait of Sor Juana originally included in the first edition of the Fama.
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4to, (210 x 160 mm). Full collation below, errors in pagination and misplaced, with the seven requires full-page plates by Clemente Puche. Contemporary limp vellum, spine lettered and decorated in ink, restored and recased, ties renewed. A few pages with marginal restorations or strengthened, small traces of worm holes to a very few leaves, occasionally touching letters but not affecting legibility, some marginal damp staining, occasional foxing, foliated on the lower margin at gutter, overall in very good condition.
Francisco Álvarez de Velasco y Zorrilla (Bogota, 1647 - Madrid, 1708), was a poet, writer and colonial officer, mayor of Bogota and governor of Neiva; he devoted himself to the study of the works of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. In 1698, from Santa Fe, he wrote the “Carta laudatoria”, probably unaware of Sor Juana’s death in 1695. Upon lerning of her death, he describes it as “un castigo de Dios a su absurdo devaneo de enamorarse de una mujer distante, desconocida y monja para colmo”.
Because of the absence of a printing press in Colombia, Alvarez de Velasco travelled to Spain, where he saw his compendium of baroque colonial poetry published in 1703, in what was probably an epic effort, concluded between Seville and Madrid.
“La Rhythmica sacra, moral y laudatoria (1703), de Álvarez de Velasco y Zorrilla, se revela como un testimonio, único en la Nueva Granada, de las distintas manifestaciones de la risa en la poesía colonial. Primero, evidenciamos la exclusión de la risa en la “ciudad letrada”, y la consecuente escritura de sátiras no burlescas.” (Molina Morales, Guillermo. “La Risa En La Poesía De Francisco Álvarez De Velasco y Zorrilla,” La Palabra, 119-130).
Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo in his Antología de Poetas Hispanoamericanos, declares to never have seen the complete work, and refers to Álvarez de Velasco y Zorrilla as an “innovador en la métrica, versado, no solo en los primores de Rengifo, sino en los primores de la Rythmica [sic] del Obispo Caramuel, a quien más de una vez cita.
Alvarez de Velasco is not considered a fine poet, his merit resides on his representation of the time and his use of the local language, in a nascent Americanism, in other words, an early poetic enterprise full of American identity. Jaime Tello calls Álvarez de Velasco the “primer poeta auténticamente americano” who “no se avergonzó de usar palabras y modismos típicos de América.
The rarity is considerable, only three copies can be located worldwide: Biblioteca Nacional de España (incomplete), Biblioteca de los Dominicos en Salamanca, and Academia Colombiana, complete, from which in 1989 the modern edition by the Instituto Caro y Cuervo (Ernesto Porras Collantes, Rafael Torres Quintero y Jaime Tello) was published. Our copy has been collated against the Instituto Caro y Cuervo edition, considered the epitome of a complete copy (collations vary from copy to copy), and according to their copy, ours is missing two leaves: “Al M.R.P. Fr. Pedro de Tobar y Buendía. Madrigal,” and “Soneto a la gloriosa virgen y mártir Santa Bárbara A la esclarecidísima mártir, purissima virgen y finissima protectora de sus devotos, mi señora Santa Bárbara abogada de los rayos. Soneto.” It is however complete of all the parts, and the 7 full-page plates signed by Clemente Puche, known for the portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz included in the first edition of Fama (1700), and here included as well.
The fourth, and last, group of poems is the one dedicated to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, “Carta laudatoria de la insigne Poetisa la señora Soror Inés Juana de la Cruz, Religiosa del Convento de señor San Gerónimo de la Ciudad de México, Nobilíssima Corte de todos los Reynos de la Nueva-España”. Despite the general religious theme of his writings, the compositions to Sor Juana are in a somewhat playful tone, rather informal, and somewhat forward in his confession of love towards the muse: “A vos divina Nise (mas que susto?) - Tiritando la pluma entre los dedos - Descolorido el gusto, - Amarillo el papel, la tinta roja, - Muerta la mano, y viva la congoja - De pensar, que es a Nise (ó que verguenza) - A quien quiere escribir un Poeta raso; Yo a vos? que ciego amor me lo dispensa; Yo a vos? Famulo indigno del Parnaso - Yo discurro el entrar con voz a juicio, - Yo hablo, rio, quiero holgarme; - Y amor tengo a este metrico exercicio….”.
The collation is a matter of its own, essentially no two copies are the same, this copy is essentially complete with the exception of a couple of preliminaries, which may have never been bound in, it contains all the required plates including that of Sor Juana, and a significant amount of errors in pagination. A full collation report is below:
Rhythmica Sacra Moral, y Laudatoria: 1 ff., title; 2 ff. Dedicatoria Al Excelmo. Señor D. Joseph Fernandez de Velasco; 5 ff. Prologue; 1 ff. Aprobación: R. P. M. Juan Pablo de Aperregui, 1703; 1 ff. Soneto, Octavas; 1 ff. blank; 1 copper engraving of La Piedad by Clemente Puche, with the portrait of Álvarez de Velasco praying at bottom (two small worm holes, restored and damp staining).
Elegias Decametras a los dolores de la Virgen: 1 ff. title (Burgos, 1703,); missing: 2 ff. with Aprobacion del R.P.M. Fray Manuel de la Gandara; pp. 1-28 A los Dolores de la Virgen, (wood-block in text); p. 29-30 Madrigal; pp. 31-34 Advertencia; p. 35 Dedicatoria A Don Francisco Alvarez de Velasco; pp. 36-38 A los Dolores de la Virgen…; pp. 39-41 A lo Mismo…, Soneto, Madrigal: pp. 42-51 Al Descendimiento de Christo, Romance, woodblock in text; pp. 52-54 Salve para cantar a nuestra señora de la Tristeza, Estrivillo, 2 woodblocks in text; [pp. 55-66 are within the following work of Poesias Sacras y Morales a Varios Assumptos, immediately after p. 40]; pp. 67-90 Clausulas; pp. 91-110 A las Agonias del Huerto, Idillios, woodblock in text.
Poesias sacras y morales a varios assumptos: 1 copper engraving (Nautico soy que navego, signed Clemens Puich, Madrid, 1703); pp. 1-10 Moribundo que naufraga; 1 copper engraving (Mors Pecatorum Pessima, signed Clemens Puich Ex); 11-40 pp. Poesias Sacras y Morales A Varios Assumptos, 2 woodblocks in text); [*misplaced leaves from Elegias, pp. 55-66 Pecador en las ultimes agonias, 2 woodblocks in text]; Poesias continues: 1 copper engraving (Erit enim tunc tribulatio, signed Clemens Puich Delit.; pp. 41-54 Novissimo del Juizio, Canciones Reales, 1 copper engraving (Ibi erit fletus, signed Clemens Puich Delt.), pp. 55-106 Porque asi en lo comun de tanto anhelo, Novissimo del Infierno; 1 copper engraving (Angeli Assendentes & Dessendentes, signed Clemens Puich Delt.); pp. 107-136 Novissimo de la Gloria; [*Misplaced leaves: following pages 137-148 are misplaced]; [*Misplaced leaves: 4 ff. Discurso, 4 ff. Asi como en la Hostia, A la Milagrosa Echura del Santo Christo de Maracaybo].
Poesias, Mysterios y Villancicos: pp. 1-28 Sonora Musica, Glossa, A La Milagrosa Imagen de Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquira, [*Misplaced leaves: 6 ff. A la profession, y vélo de la Señora Maria-Ana de Valençuela y Faxardo Religiosa del Convento de la Purísima Concepcion de la Ciudad de Santa Fe, Otra Letra. Estrivillo. Niños a la Escuela, a la Escuela Niños]; Poesias continues: pp. 29-34 Al Nacimiento de Christo, Villancico, y Ensalada, que es un genero de versos, y composición que no va atado a precisos consonantes; [*35-36 misplaced?]; 37 p. Vida y milagros del nuevo Taumaturgo y Apostol de las Indias S. Francisco Xavier; pp. 38-76 Quintillas (woodcuts); [*Misplaced leaves: 77-116]; pp 117-132 Glossa o Troba para cantar en la Escuela (error en paginación indica 229 en lugar de 129); [*Misplaced: 1 ff. Aunque Maria Santissima, Dezimas]; [*Misplaced: Rhytmica, 2 ff. (Faciles, y Breves Remedios]; [*Misplaced: 3 fnch Reconvenciones Tiernas, XIIII-XVII]; [*Misplaced: 3 fnch (woodcut, La Sequencia del Santissimo Sacramento en Esdrujulos, I-XXV]; Poesias continues: pp. 133-136 Oracion de un Enfermo, A un Hipocondrico.
El Apolo Africano y Aguila de la Iglesia, el grande Augustino su Vida y Milagros, 1 ff. Title page (orla tipografica); pp. 3-6 Al Lector, Madrigal; pp. 7-10 Explicacion del Titulo; pp. 11-78 El Apolo Africano, Canciones I-C; Una hoja blanca; Poesias continues: pp. 165-198 Sermon eneuclastico, estoyco, Antes de la Missa, Acimiento de Gracias à Dios, suplicandole, nos enseñe à hablar, y callar (error en paginación 185, marca 175); pp. 199-200, error en paginación reinicia con 100, siguiendo pp 101-148, siendo que debían ser 200 en adelante) Para la Fiesta del Gran Padre, Villancico, numerous woodcuts; [*Misplaced leaves: pp.137-148 de Poesias].
Letras parla Comedia, y Loa de Santa Barbara, 2 ff. La Primera es una pintura de Ecos; 1 folding typographic plate, printed in red and black, with typographic border, Laberyntho. [Our copy has been collated with the edition of the Instituto Caro y Cuervo and appears to be lacking a leaf with the title: “Al M.R.P. Fr. Pedro de Tobar y Buendía. Madrigal” and “Soneto a la gloriosa virgen y mártir Santa Bárbara”]; Poesia continues: pp. 149-164 A Santa Rosa de Lima, A San Francisco Xavier… para entarar en una Provincia de Infieles por burlarse el Indio, A Santa Teresa de Jesus, A la singular pintura de San Francisco muerto que esta en su Convento de Santa Fe, Soneto.; Poesia continues: pp. 137 misnumbered 237, pp. 137-148 Lo que passa en los aplausos del mundo; [*Misplaced: 2 ff. Al M R P M Fr Pedro de Tobar y al libro que ha sacado a luz de la S. V. M. de Chiquinquira]; [*Misplaced: 2 ff. Reconvenciones Tiernas, I-XIII]; Poesias continues: pp 149-164 A Procustes, Tirano de tan sangrienta extravagante condicion; Poesias continues: pp. 77-96, (96 misnumbered 66), Amante, que con la acelerada muerte de Nise restaura la razon, que le tenia usurpada la tyrania de su amor (various woodcuts).
Don Francisco Alvarez de Velasco: poema panegirico: 1 ff. Title page with typographic border; 7 ff. Dedicado a las Religiosas del Convento de Santa Clara, en el muy ilustre de la Ciudad de Santa Fé.
Carta laudatoria a la insigne poetisa sorora Ines Juana de la Cruz: copper engraving (Portrait of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, signed Clemens Puche, Madrid, 1700), 1 ff. title page; 4 ff. Aprobacion del R. P. M. Fray Manuel de la Gandara, Carta que escrivió el autor a la señora soror Juana Ines de la Cruz, Santa Fé de Bogotá, 6 de Octubre de 1698; pp. 1-74 A Vos divina Nise Tiritando la pluma entre los dedos.
Carta al reverendissimo padre maestro Fray Diego de Ochoa: 2 ff. Toda la explicacion, pp. 1-51 Anual celebracion que haze esta ciudad de Santa Fé, woodblock on page 52.
Documentos morales a un amigo, 10 fnch Pues tan desabrido te hallo; 1 l. Advertencia, y protesta del Autor; 1 fnch No puedo escusar el prevenir a los letores; 4 fnch Index por alphabeto de distintas Poesias.
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