Testimonio auténtico, y verdadero de las cosas notables que passaron en la dichosa muerte del Rey nuestro señor Don Phelipe segundo, etc.

Title, 12 unn. leaves, 156 pp., 8 unn. leaves. 4to. Contemporary half calf. Valencia, Pedro Patricio Mey, 1599. First edition of this panegyric of Philip II, King of Spain (1527-1598). Philip II inherited one of the largest empires from his father Charles V, which included territories in every continent then known to Europeans. His reign saw a flourishing of cultural excellence in Spain, the beginning of what is called the Golden Age, creating a lasting legacy in literature, music, and the visual arts. Philip's foreign policies were determined by a combination of Catholic fervour and dynastic self-interest, he considered himself by default the chief defender of Catholic Europe. The author Antonio Cervera de la Torre (fl. 16th/17th century) was born in Ciudad Real, his parents were Hidalgos from Pozuelo de Calatrava and Madridejos, he received a degree in canon law from the University of Salamanca and was rector of the Imperial College. He was sacristan mayor and definer of the Order of Calatrava and chaplain of Philip II. This present book is the only work of history he wrote. - Palau 54107; Index Aurel. 135.285.