Minerva ó El Revisor General. Obra Periódica. 1805.
Madrid: En La Imprenta De Vega y Compaña, 1805. [1], title, 3-244 pp., [3 pp.] index. Sm. 8vo. Quarter calf over blue marbled boards, spine title & compartments ruled in gilt, tan spine label, speckled edges. Very good, extremities worn, boards & spine rubbed, worming through lower edge, sticker to front paste down, light soiling, occasional corrections inked in. Palau 170218. Hartzenbusch 64. Item #45242
First year of publication of this periodical (October 1st, 1805 through December 31st, 1805, Nos. 1 -27 [I - XXVII], with index). begun during the Napoleonic wars and just three weeks before the massive defeat of the Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar. Includes "Noticia historica de las principales Batallas Navales entre las esquadras Francesa y Espanola contra la Inglesa" (40 pp. of the entire Noviembre 19 issue, No. XV). The long article ends with the October 21st battle and the multiple errors of the French and Spanish fleets and notes "There is not found in all the history of the modern navy an example of such a complete victory" (No se halla en toda la historia de la marina moderna un exemplo de tan completa victoria." The issue of December 10 also contains further items on the Battle including the poem: -Oda sobre el combate naval del 21 de Octubre de este año," signed Granada-Maron, who is most likely Francisco Martínez de la Rosa (1787-1862), future Prime Minister of Spain, born in Granada, writer of plays and satirical poems. (See Loazaro: La España moderna, Ano 18, Num 205 (Madrid: 1906) p 14).
But the thrust of the periodical is literary, so that even the discussion of the naval battle leads to a comparison of Spanish vs. English poets' portrayals of their countries' respective heroic battles.
The issue of the first year is uncommon. While OCLC notes a number of holdings of the title, only about 10 or less libraries hold the 1805 issue.
Price: $150.00