Physical
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Only edition. [10 of 14], 201 pp., 195:151 mm., wide margins, usual age and damp staining, initial 4 ff. in facsimile. A good copy of a very rare work bound in contemporary full vellum wrappers. Only 4 copies known in Madrid (Biblioteca Nacional and Academia de la Historia), Utrecht University Library, Budapest and Munich (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek). |
Detailed
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A rare work on the history of Hungary and the Battle of Buda in 1686, contains an apology on behalf of the Jews of the ghetto of Buda. The liberation of Buda was celebrated not only by the Holy Roman Empire, but was also heralded by the anti-French coalition (The Dutch Republic, William III of Orange, together with Charles II of Spain, German Electorates and Leopold I, the Emperor) as a crucial victory against the Ottomans, and against French King Luis XIV who conspired with the Turks in his endeavor to dominate Europe. There is a conspicuous Jewish interest in the elaboration of this work. The account contains an important document, the entire text of the letter sent by the Jews of Buda addressed to the Emperor Leopold I (pp. 183-195), after the latter conquered the city. In the letter, the Jews express their traditional loyalty to their sovereigns in the countries where they live, and the biblical precept - and practice - to pray for peace and prosperity, and to bless the Kings of the nation in which they live. This they express with numerous examples from history. Some parts of this apology are particularly interesting for their Sephardic features, as a) the rebuttal of the accusation in Spanish History that the Jews conspired with the Muslim invaders when Visigoth Spain was conquered in 711; b) the argument that the Jews of Frankfurt refused to provide Luther with financial help because they felt loyal to Spanish King-Emperor Charles I; and many other interesting arguments.
There was, as a matter of tact, a "Jewish agenda" at the basis of this work. The "Court Jews", foremost among them the Sephardi merchant don Manuel de Belmonte alias Isaac Nunes Belmonte served both the Emperor Leopold I, the Dutch King-Stadhouder William Ill and was also appointed as the "Resident of the King of Spain in the Dutch Republic" with important diplomatic and financial tasks. The high esteem in which Belmonte was held, is expressed in the nobility title of "Baron de Belmonte" granted by the Spanish King and that of "Count Palatinate" awarded by the Emperor. Is it no coincidence that Belmonte is quoted in this work (on p. 110) as an important person who received the latest news on the assault of Buda. Spanish troops and officers participated in this battle, moved by their religious zeal to free Europe from the Muslim threat, and because of the natural alliance they felt with the Hapsburg dynasty - Spain being governed by the Spanish branch of the Hapsburgs. Hence this work is dedicated to an important person in the Spanish Government. By expressing interest in the Imperial and Spanish cause, Jews like Manuel de Belmonte and poets and writers like Daniel Levi de Barrios or Antonio Pizarro de Oliveros presented themselves as loyal subjects. Living in Amsterdam, the commercial heart of 17th century Europe, and using their vast mercantile networks, these Jews occupied a privileged position as gatherers of vital news and information. It is astonishing to observe that the lively and extensive information presented in this written history was based solely upon the written and oral reports that reached Amsterdam, as the author, Antonio Pizarro de Oliveros, writes in his prologue. It is highly probable that the part on the Jews of Buda was written by Pizarro de Oliveros to defend the position of his coreligionist to the Christiap, Catholic audience of this work.
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