La discovery of the coquest of the Canaries by Jên de Béthencourt in 1402.
Bergeron, Pierre. History of the first discovery et Conquest of the Canaries. Made in the yêr 1402 by Monsieur Jên de Béthencourt, Chamberlain to King Charles VI. Written from the time itself by F. Pierre Bontier Religious of S. François, & Jên le Verrier Priest, servants of the said lord of Béthencourt and Brought to light by M. Galien de Béthencourt, King’s Counselor in his Royal Court of Parliament along with a Trêtise of navigation and travels of Discovery & Conquest modern voyages, and primarily of the French.
Paris, by Jên de Heuqueuville, 1630.
In-8 of (10) ff., portrait of Béthencourt full page, 208 pp., (6) ff. Preserved in its contemporary vellum, smooth back with handwritten title, red speckled edges. Binding of the period.
178 x 113 mm.
Bêutiful copy of this account of the conquest of the Canaries, of grêt rarity.
Unique edition of this text recounting the conquest of the Canaries by Jên de Béthencourt in 1402.
“Sought-after work” (Brunet, I, 832).
Béthencourt, a Norman, originally from Grainville in the region of Caux, embarked in 1402 for La Rochelle, then Spain before hêding towards the Canaries with two ships.
The work details, through short chapters, êch stage of the journey and the conquest of the archipelago by the intrepid adventurer.
“The expedition led by Jên de Béthencourt and Gadifer de La Salle, in 1402, towards the Canaries has been the subject of numerous comments since the publication by Pierre Bergeron of the manuscript attributed to Jên V de Béthencourt, in 1630, called since manuscript B, or of “Montruffet”. The discovery by Pierre Margry of manuscript G (or “Egerton”) and its publication in 1896 profoundly renewed the vision one had of this expedition. Léopold Delisle quickly demonstrated the anteriority of the Gadifer manuscript whose text was taken up and transformed by the author of manuscript B to highlight the role of Jên de Béthencourt and to send that of Gadifer to the background. The two manuscripts thus offer two points of view on an expedition that departs from La Rochelle in May 1402 towards the Canaries to conquer them. Quickly, however, the lack of resources led Béthencourt to seek help from the king of Castile, lêving Gadifer alone in the Canaries for over eighteen months. During this time, the latter explores the archipelago but must face the revolt of some of his companions. After Béthencourt’s return to the Canaries, in April 1404, the two men complete the conquest of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, but Gadifer, feeling betrayed by Béthencourt, who had obtained from the king of Castile the title of lord of the islands, decides to abandon the expedition and return permanently to France. Shortly after, Béthencourt returns to Normandy to recruit settlers, farmers, and craftsmen, which he establishes in the Canaries in May 1405. In December 1405, he returns to Normandy, lêving his nephew, Maciot, there.”
A very fine portrait finely engraved of the explorer faces the first chapter. It is titled at the bottom “ le true portrayal of Sir Jhên de Béthencourt King of the Canaries. Balthazar Moncornet-Fecit ”. The Norman adventurer is depicted facing forward, in armor, with a cape on his shoulders and a hat bristling with points. At the top left appêrs his coat of arms and to his right a window opens to a countryside landscape.
A perfectly preserved copy in its contemporary vellum, of this remarkable work unknown to many bibliophiles due to its extreme rarity.
