A rare first edition of a translation of the Book of Proverbs into Portuguese verse, with the Latin and Portuguese texts on opposing pages.
José Eloi Ottoni (1764-1851) was born in Brazil, but studied and worked in Europe, because he was not satisfied with the positions and pay he was offered in his homeland. He returned to Brazil in 1825, after it had become independent, and worked as a secretary for the Navy. He was also an enthusiastic poet, however, and was friends with the famous Portuguese poet Manuel Maria Barbosa l'Hedois du Bocage (1765-1805). Ottoni seems to have been inspired by his friend, as the Bocage style can be seen in some of his poems. In addition to several short collections of poems and sonnets, Ottoni also completed multiple translations of Latin works. Apart from the Book of Proverbs, these include the book of Job and Virgil's Georgics.
The Proverbs themselves are part of a genre called 'wisdom literature', which offered teachings about values, morals, divinity and the meaning of life. This genre was not necessarily biblical in nature, although the Book of Proverbs is. Ottoni has translated all 31 chapters. His Portuguese translation of the Book of Proverbs is not the first, but it might be among the most poetic.
The spine shows some signs of wear and the edges are slightly scuffed, pages 289-304 are browned and foxed, otherwise internally fine and clean. Overall in good condition. Borba de Moraes, p. 640; Innocencio 4, p. 309; Porbase 706137 (3 copies BnP); Rodrigues 1820; WorldCat 123285864 (12 copies); cf. Candido, A., Formação da literatura Brasileira: 1750-1836.