Mexico—Liturgy

Missa Gothica seu Mozarabica, et officium itidem Gothicum diligenter ac dilucide explanata ad usum per celebris Mozarabum Sacelli Toleti a munificentissimo Cardinali Ximenio erecto... Puebla [Mexico]: Palafox Seminary Press, 1770

Folio (284 x 185mm.), printed in red and black throughout, engraved vignette at start of preface, full-page engraved illustrations (all by José de Nava of Puebla) each pasted to previous blank page, woodcut initials and tailpieces, engraved music, contemporary tan morocco gilt, centrepiece depicting St Ildefonsus being invested by the Virgin Mary with a golden chasuble, border composed of small fleur-de-lys and leafy stamps, gilt edges, front endleaves watermarked with a crowned fleur-de-lys and the initials AD (similar to Heawood 1871-1875, all Lisbon, mid-eighteenth century), early manuscript shelfmark on front flyleaf, modern slipcase, slight staining from binding turn-ins

The Mozarabic rite was initiated by St Ildefonsus in the seventh century and later promoted by Cardinal Ximenes de Cisneros, though at the time of printing it was not an authorised rite for use in the Americas. Juan de Palafox y Mendoza was Bishop of Puebla from 1640 to 1655, and he was a prolific builder and founder of institutions, in particular the earliest librar⭕y in the Americas, the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, housed in the seminary of San Juan Evangelista, which was also home to the first printing press in Puebla, established in 1640.

This binding appears on other copies of this work (such as the copy in the Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist University, Dallas) and was probably a publisher's binding꧑.