The stage was set for the production of the Doctrinas. That there
were Chinese xylographic models upon which the books could be based
is evidenced by the account of Mendoza of the considerable number of
Chinese books brought to Manila by Martin de Rada as early as 1575. A
more likely model was a bilingual text in Spanish and Chinese which
Cobo describes in his letter of July 13, 1589, where speaking of the
Jesuits in China he says:
"Moreover the Father of the Company who was in China wrote and
printed in Chinese letters a whole book of the unity of God,
the creation of the world, and the commandments explained;
and in this book has gotten as far as the incarnation of
the Son of God. Concerning this I am not speaking of things
heard, for I have it, and am thus certain of it, as of all
the things that happened. How far I have progressed with the
Chinese letters I shall say later. This book was printed in
China in 1584. It circulates freely in China whence we have
our copy, and because of the writing, contrary to what others
have misleadingly said about the Chinese, they have done him
no ill: from which it may be inferred that the lion is not
so wild as they paint him." [120]
There is no direct evidence to support our belief that it was during
the brief period after Castro returned, probably late in 1590, and
relieved Cobo of his executive responsibilities, and June 1592 when he
left for Japan, that Cobo began intensive plans for the production of
bilingual texts. His recorded interest in such books, his influence
with the Chinese, his energy and his own linguistic aptitude would
naturally have stimulated him to undertake the task. Whether he
actually began work on the blocks from which the books were printed,
or merely suggested the feasibility of the idea, we do not know,
but we feel sure that Juan Cobo was the father of the production of
books in the Philippines.
There is no need here to go into the history of printing in China;
the method used there and its antiquity have been fully described
by others. [121] That there were Chinese in Manila who understood
this age-old process would seem obvious from the reports of skilled
craftsmen whose presence was noted by all the writers of the period. We
have already quoted a reference to Juan Cobo's teaching them European
trades, and Salazar in his already cited letter speaks of them further:
"They are so skillful and clever, that, as soon as they see
any object made by a Spanish workman, they reproduce it with
exactness. What arouses my wonder most is, that when I arrived
no Sangley knew how to paint anything; but now they have
so perfected themselves in this art that they have produced
marvelous works with both the brush and the chisel.... What has
pleased all of us here has been the arrival of a bookbinder
from Mexico. He brought books with him, set up a bindery,
and hired a Sangley who had offered his services to him. The
Sangley secretly, and without his master noticing it, watched
how the latter bound books, and lo, in less than [lacuna in
MS.] he left the house, saying that he wished to serve him
no longer, and set up a similar shop." [122]
To turn over a manuscript copy of a book to a Chinaman who had already
some familiarity with the production of books in China, or who with a
given text could carve the blocks according to tradition, was then not
a matter of great difficulty. There were Chinese books which showed
what the result would be; there were Spanish books, definitely some
from Mexico, which provided samples of European characters and format.
Who cut the blocks--that is exactly what Chinaman--we do not know,
nor do we know who handled the presswork, but it is logical to assume
that the whole process took place under the supervision of the fathers
of San Gabriel, Juan Cobo if work had begun before 1592, and certainly
Nieva and San Pedro Martyr. One further aide may have been the lay
brother, Pedro Rodriguez, who had been sent to San Gabriel with Nieva,
and who was a handyman or skilled mechanic, for Aduarte credits him
with rebuilding and restoring the hospital.
In speaking of the book printed for Blancas de San José, Aduarte said
that the printing had been done by "a Chinaman, a good Christian,"
[123] but in this particular account he does not give the Chinaman's
name. Yet, where he describes the founding of a second church of San
Gabriel in Binondo, sometime after March 28, 1594 [124] and before
June 15, 1596 when it was admitted to the chapter, he tells in some
detail of printing done by Juan de Vera. [125]
"There have been in this town [Binondo, then called Minondoc]
many Chinese of very exemplary lives. Juan de Vera was
not only a very devout man, and one much given to prayer,
but a man who caused all his household to be the same. He
always heard mass, and was very regular in his attendance at
church. He adorned the church most handsomely with hangings
and paintings, because he understood this art. He also,
thinking only of the great results to be attained by means
of holy and devout books, gave himself to the great labor
necessary to establish printing in this country, where there
was no journeyman who could show him the way, or give him an
account of the manner of printing in Europe, which is very
different from the manner of printing followed in his own
country of China. The Lord aided his pious intentions, and
he gave to this undertaking not only continued and excessive
labor, but all the forces of his mind, which were great. In
spite of the difficulties, he attained that which he desired,
and was the first printer in these islands; and this not from
avarice--for he gained much more in his business as a merchant,
and readily gave up his profit--but merely to do service to
the Lord and this good to the souls of the natives." [126]
It is interesting to note that this narrative, which is in substance
similar to that about the books of Blancas de San José, nowhere
mentions the name of the priest in connection with Vera. It is probable
that Juan de Vera was, as Retana believed, the first typographer, and
it may be that he also printed the Doctrinas of 1593. It is impossible
to say with certainty, but it is not too fanciful to suppose that
Juan de Vera tried xylographic printing under the supervision of
Nieva and San Pedro Martyr, and after some experimenting achieved
typography in the time of Blancas de San José.
Since we have here dealt with a volume printed entirely from
wood-blocks it does not seem necessary to discuss in detail the
subsequent typographical books. However, just as this goes to press,
a copy of the _Ordinationes Generales prouintiae Sanctissimi Rosarij
Philippinarum_, [127] printed at Binondo by Juan de Vera in 1604,
has been discovered, and also presented by Mr. Rosenwald to the
Library of Congress. This is the volume described by Remesal [128]
as being printed "in as fine characters and as correctly as if in
Rome or Lyon." No copy of the book had been described since his day,
although Medina [129] and Retana [130] both listed it from references
which probably derived from Remesal. Its discovery--almost unbelievable
coming so close on the heels of that of the Doctrina--helps to close
the gap between the latter and the two Bataan imprints [131] of 1610,
the _Arte y Reglas de la Lengva Tagala_ and the _Librong Pagaaralan
nang manga Tagalog nang uicang Castilla_.
The full story of the early typographical products of the Philippines
must wait upon another occasion, for the questions posed by the scanty
records and the handful of surviving books are extremely knotty. Where
did the type come from? Medina suggested it was imported from Macao;
Retana believed it to have been cut in the Philippines. Fernández
said that the first works of Blancas de San José were printed at
Bataan and the two 1610 books have that place of printing, yet in
1604 the _Ordinationes_ issued from Binondo. Remesal wrote that this
book was printed by Francisco de Vera, and the book itself bears the
name of Juan. Indeed, the history of the early typographers and the
output of their presses, as it has so far been written, presents many
problems, but they are problems which we feel are outside the scope
of this study.
To summarize what we have learned of the earliest printing in the
Philippines: we have the possibility, but not a likely one, that
an _Arte_ by Juan de Quiñones was printed xylographically in 1581;
we know that in the first half of the year 1593 two Doctrinas were
printed xylographically--although we have no way of telling which
came first--one in Tagalog from the Talavera-Plasencia-Oliver text,
and one in Chinese written by Juan Cobo, both edited and printed under
the supervision of Domingo de Nieva and Juan de San Pedro Martyr;
we surmise that between 1593 and 1602 other works were also printed
xylographically, such as the small tracts of Juan de Villanueva and
some of the books of Blancas de San José, Nieva and others; and in
1602 was printed by Juan de Vera, in all likelihood from movable
type, the book of Our Lady of the Rosary by Blancas de San José. The
known facts are not many, and we can only hope that time and further
research will discover new ones to make the history of the earliest
Philippine imprints more complete and more satisfactory.
Philadelphia, January 20, 1947 EDWIN WOLF 2ND.
The most frequently cited authorities will be referred to as follows:
ADUARTE--Diego Aduarte, _Historia de la Provincia del Sancto Rosario de
la Orden de Predicadores en Philippinas, Iapon, y China_, Manila, 1640.
B. & R.--Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, _The
Philippine Islands 1493-1898_, Cleveland, 1903-09.
CANO--Gaspar Cano, _Catalogo de los Religiosos de N.P.S. Agustin de
la Provincia del Smo. Nombre de Jesus de Filipinas_, Manila, 1864.
CHIRINO--Pedro Chirino, _Relacion de las Islas Filipinas_, Rome, 1604.
COLÍN--Francisco Colín, _Labor Evangélica, Ministerios Apostólicos
de los Obreros de la Compañia de Jesus, Fundacion, y Progressos de
su Provincia en las Islas Filipinas_ (ed. Pablo Pastells), Barcelona,
1900-02.
HUERTA--Felix de Huerta, _Estado Geográfico, Topográfico, Estadístico,
Histórico-Religioso, de la Santa y Apostólica Provincia de S. Gregorio
Magno ... de N.S.P.S. Francisco, en las Islas Filipinas_, Binondo,
1865.
MEDINA--José Toribio Medina, _La Imprenta en Manila desde sus Orígenes
hasta 1810_, Santiago de Chile, 1896.
MEDINA (Juan de)--Juan de Medina, _Historia de los Sucesos de la
Orden de N. Gran P. S. Agustin de estas Islas Filipinas_, Manila, 1893.
P. & G.--Angel Pérez and Cecilio Güemes, _Adiciones y Continuacion de
"La Imprenta en Manila" de D.J.T. Medina_, Manila, 1904.
PÉREZ--Elviro Jorde Pérez, _Catálogo Biobibliográfico de los Religiosos
Agustinos de la Provincia del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús de las Islas
Filipinas_, Manila, 1901.
REMESAL--Antonio de Remesal, _Historia de la provincia de S. Vincente
de Chyapa y Guatemala de la orden de nro glorioso padre Sancto
Domingo_, Madrid, 1619.
RETANA--Wenceslao Emilio Retana y Gamboa, _La Imprenta en Filipinas
Adiciones y Observaciones á La Imprenta en Manila de D.J.T. Medina_,
Madrid, 1897.
SAN AGUSTIN--Gaspar de San Agustin, _Conquistas de las Islas
Philipinas_, Madrid, 1698.
SAN ANTONIO--Juan Francisco de San Antonio, _Chronicas de la Apostolica
Provincia de S. Gregorio de Religiosos Descalzos de N.S.P. Francisco
en las Islas Philipinas_, Manila, 1738-44.
SANTA INÉS--Francisco de Santa Inés, _Crónica de la Provincia de San
Gregorio Magno de Religiosos descalzos de N.P. San Francisco en islas
Filipinas, China, Japón, etc. escrita ... en 1676_, Manila, 1892.
SANTIAGO VELA--Gregorio de Santiago Vela, _Ensayo de una Biblioteca
Ibero-Americana de la Orden de San Agustin_, Madrid, 1913-31.
SCHILLING--Dorotheus Schilling, _Vorgeschichte des Typendrucks auf
den Philippen_, Gutenberg-Jahrbuch, 1937, pp. 202-16.
TORRES--Pedro Torres y Lanza, _Catálogo de los documentos relativos
á las Islas Filipinas existentes en el Archivo de Indias de Seville_,
Barcelona, 1925-34.
VIÑAZA--Cipriano Muñoz y Manzano, Conde de la Viñaza, _Escritos de
los Portugueses y Castellanos referentes á las lenguas de China y el
Japón_, Lisbon, 1892.
This facsimile of the Doctrina Christiana printed at Manila in 1593
was printed by Edward Stern & Company, Inc., Philadelphia, in an
edition of twenty-five hundred copies, and published by the Library
of Congress, February 1947. The type used on the title page and for
headings is Forum, and that in the text Italian Old Style.
Doctrina Christiana, en
lengua española ytagala, cor
regida por los Religiosos de las
ordenes Impressa con licencia, en
S. gabriel. de la orden de. S. Domigo
En Manila. 1593
Tassada endos rreales
Juandecuellaz
A. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. ij. l. m. n. o.
p. q. rr. s. s. t. u. v. x. y. z. z.
vocales. a. e. i. o. u.
Ba. be. bi bo bu. Ça çe çi. ço. çu.
Da. de di do du. Fa fe fi fo fu.
Gua gue gui guo gu. Ha he hi.
ho hu. Ja je ji jo ju. La le li.
lo lu. Ma me mi mo mu. Na.
ne ni no nu. Pa pe pi po pu.
Qua que qui quo qu. Ra re.
ri ro ru. Sa se si so su. Ta te ti.
to tu. Ua ue ui uo uu. Xa xe xi.
xo xu. Ya ye yi yo yu. Za ze zi.
zo zu.
Ban ben bin bon bun. Çan çen
çin çon çun. Dan den din don.
dun. Fan fen fin fon fun. Guan
guen guin guon gun. Han hen
hin hon hun. Jan jen jin jon jun.
Lan len lin lon lun. Man me
min mon mun. Nan nen nin non.
nun. Pan pen pin pon pun. Quã
quen quin quon qun. Ran ren
rin ron run. San sen sin son su.
Tan ten tin ton tun. Uan uen.
uin uon. uun. Xan xen xin xon
xun. Yan yen yin yon yun. Zan
zen zin zon zun.
Bã be bi bõ bu. Çã çe çi çõ çu.
Dã de di dõ du. Fã fe fi fõ fu.
Guan guen guin guon gun. Hã.
he hi hõ hu. Jã je ji jõ ju. Lã le.
li lõ lu. Mã me mi mõ mu. Nã.
ne ni nõ nu. Pã pe pi põ pu. Quã.
que qui quõ qu. Rã re ri rõ ru. Sã.
se si sõ su. Xã xe xi xõ xu. Yã ye.
yi yõ yu. Zã ze zi zõ zu.
¶El abc. en legua tagala.
A O E HA PA KA SA LA TA NA BA MA GA DA YA
NGA WA.
¶El paternoster.
PADRE nuestro que estas en
Los cielos, sanctificado sea el tu
nombre. Venga anos el tu reyno.
hagase tu voluntad, asi en la tierra
como en el cielo. El pan nuestro
de cada dia da noslo oy. Y per
donanos nuestras duedas. asi como
nosotros las perdonamos á
nuestros deudores. Y no nos de
xes caer en la tentacion. Das
libranos de mal. Amen.
Ang ama namin.
Ama namin nasa langit ca
y pasamba mo ang ngalã
mo, mouisa amin ang pagcahari
mo. Y pasonor mo ang loob mo.
dito sa lupa parã sa langit, bigyã
mo cami ngaion nang amin caca
nin. para nang sa araoarao. at pa
caualin mo ang amin casalanã,
yaing uinaualan bahala nami
sa loob ang casalanan nang
nagcasasala sa amin. Houag
mo caming ceuan nang di cami
matalo nang tocso. Datapo
uat ya dia mo cami sa dilan ma
sama. Amen Jesus.
A MA NA MI. NA SA LA NGI KA. I PA SA BA
MO. A NGA LA MO. MO WI SA A MI. A
PE KA HA RI MO. I PE SO NO MO. A LO O MO.
DI TO SA LU PA. PA RA SA LA NGI. BI YA MO KA MI.
NGA O. NA A MI KA KA NI. PA RA NA SA A RA A RA.
A PA KA WA I MO. A A MI KA SA LA NA. YA YA
WI NA WA LA BA HA LA NA MI SA LO O. A KA SA LA NA.
NA NA KA SA SA LA SA A MI. HO WA MO KA MI E WA. NA
DI KA MI MA TA LO NA TO SO. DA TA PO WA. I A
YA MO KA MI. SA DI LA MA SA MA. A ME SE SO.
El aue Maria.
Dios te salue Maria. lle
na degracia. El senõr es
contigo. bendita tu, estretodas
las mugeres. Y bendito el fructo.
deus vientre Jesus. Santa Ma
ria uirgen y madre de Dios rue
ga por nosotros peccadores. aora
y en la ora denuestra muerte
amen. Jesus.
Ang aba guinoo Ma
Aba guinoo Maria ma
toua cana, napopono ca
nang graçia. ang panginoon di
os, ce, nasayyo. Bucor cang pinag
pala sa babaying lahat. Pinag
pala naman ang yyong anac si
Jesus. Santa Maria yna nang,
dios, ypanalangin mo camima
çasalanan ngaion at cun mama
tai cami. Amen Jesus.
A BA GI NO O MA RI YA. MA TO WA KA NA. NA PO
PO NO KA NA GA RA SI YA. A PA NGI NO O DI
YO NA SA I YO. BO KO KA PI NA PA LA. SA BA BA YI.
LA HA. PI NA PA LA NA MA. A I YO A NA SE SE SO.
SA TA MA RI YA. I NA NA DI YO. I PA NA LA NGI MO
KA MI. MA KA SA LA NA. NGA O. A KU MA MA TA KA MI.
A ME SE SO.