New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-20
EARLY BOOKS ON AMERICA.
NARRATIVES OF RETURNING MARINERS.


claims for if something more than a curious
antiquaran interest 1t represents the beginnings
of n splendl literature of travel Belonging 70 the
period of tho first English voyages across the
Atlantic and the first daring venture OF the
Portuguese into that unknown Southern ocean IoNg
believed to consist of boiling Tater,-to the peIou
Of the elder Hawkins of the Cabots ana OF lahcls
Drake OF the da7zng discoveries of the Spanlards IN
the new countries of the western sea, ana ihe
1eyersh search after wealth and wonders III the
half fabulous EaSt.-the three pubncati0ns mere
brought ont OF the Obscurity OF bl&ck-lctter are
among the earliest literary memorials of the young
spirit # enterprise which was to affect so pro
fonndly the destinies of he English race We know
that the English people were fully aroused by the
noble impulses OF that adventurous time and we
can imagine how eagerly the narratives OF their
returning mariners must have passed from mouth 10
mouth: but in the literature of adventure they
were far behind other nations. The custom OF
committing these marvellous sea stories to WIRING
lad not yet arisen among them ahd wien u uIu
snriuy nv il was TO the exploits OF Spaniards ana
Portuguese rather than of EhgsLmen that tAe
books and tracts at first were devoted. mus IL Is
that the three publications reprinted by MI Arper
embrace all that Englishmen could read IN their
own tongue about the startling geographical MS
covcries down to the middle of the sixteenth
century: and the scanty library was not much
increased until Hakluyt prepared his famous WORK
Il generation later
The first of the reprints. from copy IN the
Granville Collection, said to be unique, Is tract
entitled "Of the Newe Landes and OF the People
founde by the Messengers of the kyuee OF fortyh-
gale named Emanuel etc. second part cohs'Sts
of catalogue ana briei description OF" Inc
DIVERS Nacyons" of Christendom; and thlrd
comprises a version of the legend OF Proster John
The ORIGINAL is embelshed with wood-cuts. Inc
troct was printed at Antwerp by Jan van Does
borch: 1t was not very unusual at tnat time LOT
TnoIisb hooks TO he printed on the Continents and
Mr. Arl,er holds. for reasons which seem to Us
extremely unsatisfactory, that It's date cannot re
later than 1911 DOesborch's press was IN opera
t,op at Antwerp between 1jOs and 1880. Among
other tracts bearing tie imprint Of DoesboIch are
two in the Dutch language from which NJ. ArDef
holds that the present publication must nave "een
translated compilation. One, "Ot the Ne"
World - ctc was a translation Of NespuccIs letter
Of 1904: the other was an account OF Iresttr JoHh
1t IS not unlikely that tins theory OF Mt Aio. is
correct bat he is rash in saying thtt the case 5
. ,arcectl, clear" Asa photographer indeed, his
llhors leave something to he desired an" DIS
remarks upon this tract in particular are somewhat
d;s1ppo.ntinG The reference TO America is mlei.
The ANONYMOUS messengers of the King OF Portugal
relate how " i'm the yero Of our lo7de god ll'6'
with ships of Lisbon they "saylcd ont of Portyn-
gale through the commandment OF the hynee
Emanuel" and after long voyage" went lihd'
but that lande Is not move knoWen, Tor there nave
10 masters wryteu thereof, nor t Anowe.h ana 10
Is named Almcuica. There We save meuF wonders
al beestes and fowles that We have never seen
before" little more, perhaps four or hye times IS
much rs we have quoted, is told a5put the manner
o. the sayagcs; and then the messengers suddenly
iii -.f.r f,f Ift
Gcscrirtion of the natives might have been derived
from Vesrucci: but Mr.. Arbcr strangely omit, TO
notice that If the tract were compilation from tie
letter he third letter. of that traveller the COM
ricr took extraordinary liberties with LIS
autnoritv Ycspucci never pretended e have
visited the New World as early as 1876: the VOYAGE
described in his letter purports to have been maHe
IN 15O1 and the name America lAmculcal was not
applied to this country until 1907, and never so
auDlied hv NespLcci himself The fact proo1hly Is
+,at the Doesoorch tract was an irresponsible
piece of booksellers hack-work. hastily made out
Of Whatever materials lay at hand, and owing not
little to the loose Ieco.lcctons and Inscriptions
laline,s OF the compiler. No discovery SHIPS sailed
ont of Portugal m 1896: and 1t is no; impossible
that the narrative of NeSpucc has been muddlet
with some vague reports from the famous oxpedl-
ton OF CabI-l which sailed under the patronage OF
KING Emanuel in 1900 and visited the co1s, OF
Brazil on the way TO India
The rest Of NJ Arler's reprint belong, TO better
orlcro Of literature. for til, second and third OF lbs
first three books we owe to the Intelligent ana
painstaking labors OF man not lnaptly styled
one of the principal authors o. the reign OF Mary
Tudor" Richard Eden, TO HON this distinction Is
attributed, was one of the private secretaries OF
Lord Burleigh. He was the first 10 undertake. a
systematic publication of the stories of advcn-
tnre for the benefit of his countrymen, beginning in
1888 with the translation of a cOpOus extract nom
the Cosmography" of Sebastian Munster, which
included an account of tue newe India THAT is,
the East-and a history Of the discovery OF " tie
newe India aud lslandes in the West Ocean Sea
Tbi, translation bears the general title. \
Tre3tvse Of the uewe India, with other new iOnlde
lanGes and Islandcs, as well castwaIdc as west
warCe" etc.. and fills forty Of Mr. Arhers quart0
pages The rortion devoted to the New World
consists Principally CT a summary account OF the
VOYAGES OF ColuAhJs and Tie more or less mythical
enterprises of AmerigO NespuccL
The last OF tn, reprints is EGcns largest and most
important work-thc least rare but the most inter
cslinc of Mr.. Arbers selections Under the utic
" The Decades of the newe wor:de OF West India
Eden pat forth IN 1919 an English version oil the
first three Decades dc Orbe Noyo' OF Peter
MARTYR and added thereto variety Of other nara
tiyes trcatis-s, tracts documents etc. relating TO
the same subject. among which are TRANSACTIONS Of
The Natural History of the West Indies by
Fernando dc Ovedo Y Naldes, and PIgaictta's
narrative Of Magcllaus Recommendation of the
plobr, besides original Information touching the
wages Of that WORTHY Divide man, Sebastian
Cabote. yet lyyngc in Englande.' THIS was
accordingly the first English collection Of voyages
and travels Eden preceding Iiakluyt by about
thirty wears. The three Decades Of Peter Martyr
are followed by a tract from the same hand " Of
the Lanies and Handles lately lonnde,' which MI.
Ar5er STYLES "a perfectly distinct boof.' 1t had
indeed been printed IN Latin as distinct book nut
IN the whole work of Peter Martyr 1t forms the
four,h or the elch. Decades, and as such 1t Will be