PERCIVAL, Richard [with] MINSHEU, John.

A very good edition of the first significant Spanish-English dictionary and English language Spanish grammar, appearing for the first time here with Minsheu’s Pleasant and Delightfull Dialogues. The former two works were originally paired by Percival in his ‘Bibliotheca Hispanica’ of 1591, for which much of the preliminary work was completed by Dr Thomas D’Oylie (c. 1548-1603) of St Bartholomew’s, brother-in-law of Francis Bacon and acolyte of Robert Dudley. Percival (1550-1620) was a politician and scholar of Spanish whose extravagance and choice of wife catalysed his disinheritance by his father. He lived only four years in Spain, with any prospect of return dashed by the onset of war, but made himself useful during the conflict as a negotiator, interrogation interpreter, and translator of secret documents, which included packets containing the first sure intelligence of the forthcoming Armada. He was later secretary to Robert Cecil and went on to hold a range of courtly and parliamentary positions. Minsheu (1560-1627), who greatly expanded Percival’s work, was an impoverished lexicographer whose own writings saw publication only thanks to the patronage of his wealthier friends.

The comprehensive grammar section commences with an interesting list of general observations, showing the evolution of ‘modern’ Spanish words from the earlier Latin, and Minsheu’s dialogues contain phrases from Spanish texts popular in late C16 England. Although the works are now more commonly found separately, they should ideally be together, as here.

This edition has passed through the libraries of Algernon Capell (1670-1710), 2^nd Earl of Essex and Privy Counsellor to Queen Anne, and William Alfred Westropp Foyle (1885-1963), co-founder of Foyles bookshop, “The People’s Bookshop”. Foyle owned of one of the largest English private libraries of the 20^th century, at Beeleigh Abbey, whose contents became the single most valuable collection of books ever sold at auction, by Christies in July 2000.