MANUEL I, King of Portugal (1469–1521). O primeiro [-quinto] livro das ordenaçoes. Évora and Lisbon: Juan Cromberger, 1521.

Extremely rare first edition of the third system of the Manueline Ordinances; the basis of Brazil’s legal system and influential throughout Portugal’s colonies. Modernizing Portugal’s legal system is one of the major achievements of King Manuel I’s reign. Feeling the need to adapt to meet the needs of Portugal’s expanding empire, Manuel eliminated almost all previous laws and replaced them with a new standardized legal code; this was the first time that Portugal’s ordinances were printed. The first version, or “system”, of the ordinances was published in 1512, and the ordinances were revised twice afterwards. The present five volumes constitute the first edition of the third and final system of ordinances which would remain in effect until the reforms made by Philip II & I of Spain, and which formed the core of many of Portugal’s colonies’ legal systems until they each became independence. Anselmo 534; Azevedo-Samodães 2277.

Five volumes in two, folio (296 × 200mm). Two full-page woodcuts of the Portuguese royal achievement of arms within a decorative frame incorporating four armillary spheres on first- and third-part title-pages, woodcut initials (without first blank in vols. 1, 3 and 4, vol. 1’s first quire rehinged, many leaves toned and dampstained, occasional soiling and spotting, large repaired tear in c6 of vol. 4, smaller marginal repairs). Modern green morocco-grain sheep, covers tooled in gold and in blind, spine lettered and tooled in gold, edges red, orange textured basket-weave endleaves (spine toned, few light scratched, gold lifted in places, rubbed at extremities). Provenance: contemporary annotations in Portuguese in at least two hands (trimmed) – José Mindlin, 1914–2010 (bookplate).