Meson del Mundo.

Bookseller Notes

Very rare first edition of Ribera's late satirical novel, Ribera's most extensive prose work, with commendatory verses by Lope de Vega (who also provided the Censura) and Juan Prez de Montalbn. USTC records a dozen copies, of which 4 are in the BNE, and only 4 outside the Iberian peninsula (no shelf mark given for the the Hispanic Society's copy, the only one in the US). No copy in RBH. Some copies are dated 1632: the Licence is dated November 1631. A modern edition is by Edward Nagy, New York, 1963.In the progression from the world as a labyrinth (Gngora, et al) to the world as a stage, the world as hostelry (or inn) is the third step. The novel is discussed in Chapter XVII of Joaqun Hazaas y La Ra's Biografa del poeta sevillano Rodrigo Fernndez de Ribera y juicio de sus principales obras, 1889, at the conclusion of which Hazaas reveals that he had only been able tolay hands on one copy of this 'tan precioso libro.'