The decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular descripton [sic] of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the West Ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne
Subtitle: In the which the diligent reader may not only consyder what commoditie may hereby chaunce to the hole Christian world in tyme to come, but also learne many secreates touchynge the lande, the sea, and the starres, very necessarie to be knowe[n] to al such as shal attempte any nauigations, or otherwise haue delite to beholde the strange and woonderfull woorkes of God and nature
By: Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden
Contributors: Eden, Richard, 1521?-1576; Alexander VI, Pope, 1431-1503; Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, Gonzalo, 1478-1557; Pigafetta, Antonio, approximately 1480-approximately 1534
Publisher: In αdibus Guilhelmi Powell [for Edwarde Sutton].; Imprynted at London in Lumbard streete at the signe of the Cradle by Edwarde Sutton.
Published: 1555
Place of publication: Londini
Language: eng
Number of pages: 361
Subjects: Indian linguistics; Voyages and travels; Discovery and exploration
Other titles: Decades of the Newe World or West India, conteynyng the navigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the West Ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne
Work titles: De orbe novo. Decade 1-4
Notes: Name of printer supplied by Pollard.

Translation, by Richard Eden, of: Petri Martyris ab Angleria Mediolanen. oratoris clarissimi, ... De rebus oceanicis & Orbe nouo decades tres. Basel, 1533.

An account of decade 1-4 of De orbe novo; however, the fourth decade is given as an extract, as in the Latin edition of Basel, 1533.

The first English collection of voyages, including also contributions by or excerpts from Pope Alexander VI, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, Antonio Pigafetta, and many others, edited by Richard Eden. For complete contents see Arber.

Second imprint from colophon.

Three other variants exist, differing, almost exclusively, in their colophons only: Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Byble by Richarde Iug; Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Bell by Roberte Toy; Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Hedge hogge by Wyllyam Seres; also, no copy of the present Sutton variant has been described which includes the extra leaf of the copy of letters sent by the Duke of Muscovy to King Edward VI (signed Iiii. ii.)

Title surrounded by illustrative border.

Signatures: [a]-b⁴ ²a-²b⁴ c-d⁴ A-4Z⁴ 5A⁶ ([a] 1 verso, b4 verso, 4Y1 verso blank)

Errors in foliation, including leaf 131 misnumb.: "1031"

Map unnumbered, present in some copies only.

Cf. Arber, Edward.  The first three English books on America. [?1511]-1555 A.D. Birmingham, 1885.

Errata (leaf [13], at end)

Includes: "The Indian language." (leaf [8] recto, =b4 recto). -- "The fyrst decade." (leaves 1-51 recto). -- "The seconde decade ..." (leaves 51-88 recto). -- "... the thyrde decade, ... (leaves 88-149 recto). -- "The last booke of Peter Martyr of Angleria, of the landes and ilandes lately founde: and of the manors of the inhabitauntes of the same." (leaves 149-166; extract of decade 4). -- "Exemplar Bullae seu donationis, autoritate cuius, Episcopus Romanus Alexander eius nominis sextus, concessit et donauit Castellæ regibus & suis successoribus, regiones & insulas Noui Orbis in oceano occidentali Hispanorum nauigationibus repertas." (leaves 167-170; originally published Rome, 1493; on leaf 170 verso date erroneously given as "1593"). -- "The coppie of the  Bull of donation, by thautority wherof, Pope Alexander the syxte of that name, gaue and granted to the kynges of Castyle and theyr successours the regions and ilandes founde in the weste ocean sea by the nauigations of the Spanyardes." (leaves 171-173 recto; a translation into English of the preceding Latin text). -- "The hystorie of the VVeste Indies." (running title; text: leaves 173 verso-214 verso, by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Váldez; translated extract from: Ouiedo Dela natural hystoria delas Indias. Toledo, 1526). -- "The vyage rounde about the vvorlde." (running title; text: leaves 214 recto-232, by Antonio Pigafetta; translated extract from: Le voyage et nauigation, faict par les Espaignolz es Isles de Mollucques. Paris, 1525?)

Watt, R. Bibliotheca Britannica, 1:329c-d.

Field, T.W. Essay towards an Indian bibliography, 484.

Winsor, J. Narrative and critical history of America, 3:29, 200.

Church, E.D. Catalogue of books relating to the discovery and early history of North and South America, 102n.

Palau y Dulcet, A. Manual del librero hispano-americano (2. ed.), 12605n.

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.), 647.

Bibliotheca Americana: catalogue of the John Carter Brown Library in Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 1:187.

European Americana 555/13.

English short title catalogue, S104405

Purchase; 1846 ; 0263.