Juan Pérez de Montalbán (1602-1638). Prodigi d’amore rappresenentati in varie novelle dal
Dottore Mont albano, Entrapportati dallo Spannuolo in Italiano dal P. Biasio Cialdini. In
Venetia et in Bologna: Giovanni Recaldini, 1676.
16mo. Contemporary vellum. Old ink ownership name on front flyleaf. Ornaments. Some light
soiling in text. Leaf of half title, with ornament; leaf of title, 3pp. "molt’ illustrat signor Padron
Colendisd" (dated 1676); 2pp. "Il Cialdin a chi legge"; 1p. "prosesta dell’autor"; 1p.
"reimprimateur"; 1p. blank, pp. 1-465 text.
Works included:
La Bella Aurora;
la Forza dell Disinganno;
l’Invidioso Castigato;
La Maggior Confusion;
La Villana di Pinto;
La Disgraziata Amicizia;
LiCugini Amanti;
La Prodigioso.
These “novellas” were first published in Sucesos y prodigios de amor, en ocho novelets
ejemplares (1624) and Para todos: Exemplos morales, humanos y divinos (1632). George Ticknor
characterized La desgraciada amistad (Printed here as La Disgraziata Amicizia) as one of the best
in the Spanish language. La hermosa Aurora (La Bella Aurora) was translated into English by
Thomas Stanley as Aurora and the Prince (1647).
Juan Pérez de Montalbán, (1602-1638) was a fascinating figure who was born in Madrid. At the
age of eighteen, after studying to be in the clergy, he was appointed notary to the Inquisition. In
1619, he began writing for the stage under the guidance of Lope de Vega, who is said to have
assisted him in composing El Orfeo en lengua castellana (1624).
Montalbán was the prolific author of numerous dramas and novellas, the first of these published
in Madrid in 1624. He was occasionally brilliant. Los Amantes de Teruel is one of the great
dramas in the Spanish language, having achieved the essence of tragedy in the simple love story.
It has been translated into many languages and is still staged today. Montalbán lapsed into
insanity (probably schizophrenia) and died in June, 1638 at the age of 36. His last work was a
eulogistic biography of Lope de Vega in the Fama póstuma (1636).
Prodigi d’amore, translated by Biasio Cialdini (1594-1646), debuted in 1637. It was then
published in 1640 and again in the 1676 edition (as here). These early translations chart the
development of the modern novel, as well as the impact of Golden Age Spanish literature on the
rest of Europe.
All editions of the translation are rare.
Locations: OCLC:
(1637 edition): No locations North America; (1640 edition): 1 location, Penn.; (1676 edition): 1
location, U of Michigan.
References:
Díaz, José Simón. Bibliografía de la literatura hispánica 16. CSIC Press, 1994;
Palau, 221603; Palau, 221599;
Ticknor, George. History of Spanish Literature. NY: Ungar, 1965 (from the 1849 edition).
$850.00