José Cadalso and Vázquez

JOSÉ CADALSO Y VÁZQUEZ (Cádiz, 1741 – Gibraltar, 1782).
“Moroccan Letters by Colonel D. Joseph Cadahalso.”
Printer: Imprenta de Sancha. Madrid, 1793.
Features a printer’s mark on the title page.
Parchment covers with a handwritten title on the spine.
In good overall condition, with rust spots, small stains, and slight wear on the covers and pages, typical of its age.
Measurements: 23 x 15 x 3.5 cm.

José Cadalso was a Spanish military officer, writer, poet, and essayist, considered one of the leading figures of 18th-century Enlightenment literature. He received a broad education in Spain and France, traveled throughout various European countries, and simultaneously pursued a military career, rising to the rank of colonel shortly before his death during the Siege of Gibraltar in 1782. Among his best-known works are *Los eruditos a la violeta*, *Noches lúgubres*, and *Cartas marruecas*. The latter, written in epistolary form, uses the perspectives of several correspondents—including the Moroccan Gazel—to critically reflect on the customs, society, and situation in Spain at that time. The work first appeared in serial form in the *Correo de Madrid* in 1789, and this 1793 edition by the Imprenta de Sancha was its first publication in book form, becoming the basis for numerous subsequent editions.