LEÃO, Duarte Nunez de (c.1530-1608). Orthographia da lingoa Portuguesa. Lisbon: João de Barreira, 1576.

First edition of the first comprehensive treatise on Portuguese spelling. Leão was a prominent humanist and supporter of King Phillip. He wrote important works in history and law as well as linguistics. His other major contribution to linguistics was the Origem da Lingoa Portuguesa, published in 1606. By this time in his life, he had fallen out of favor, likely because of his Jewish heritage and he died in disillusionment in 1608. See the critical edition of this work edited by Gonçalo Fernandes and published in 2019. Anselmo 225; Biblioteca de Salvá 2359 ("rara"); Palau 196757.

Quarto (190 x 133mm). Woodcut device on title (some pale dampstain and a little soiling). Old limp vellum (a little soiled, text block detached at spine, pastedowns lifted). Provenance: deleted inscriptions to title – José Joachim Poças (letterpress bookplate with his name deleted) – José Mindlin, 1914-2010 (bookplate laid in).