CASTRO, Jacob de.

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Grammatica Lusitano-Anglica, ou Portugueza, e Ingleza. Scarce first edition in Portuguese of this pocket English grammar book for Portuguese students, in a contemporary Portuguese binding. Jacob de Castro Sarmento (1690-1762) was a Portuguese converso who, after a degree in medicine, moved to London in 1721, where he spent several decades. He first published his grammar in London in 1731 - "the earliest English grammar published expressly for the use of Portuguese learners" (Marinho, p. 139) - at a time when the Portuguese were becoming increasingly interested in learning English for business and commerce. The edition in English was reprinted several times in London. The work begins with sections on pronunciation, capitalization, punctuation, and prosody, then continues with grammar and syntax (employing the terminology typically used for inflected languages). The final part comprises simple bilingual dialogues and a glossary of verbs grouped by semantic field. An appended section provides bilingual templates on "letters on business or mercantile affairs", such as bills of exchange or receipts.An ownership inscription on the initial blank reads: "Rob. Wm. Patrick / November 14th / 1805 / St Salvador", plausibly Col. Robert William Patrick (c.1783–1809), born in Dublin, Ireland. Patrick served in the Anglo-Portuguese Army during the Peninsular War and died at about age 26 defending the bridge at Amarante, Porto. St Salvador was the contemporary English name for what is now Sal

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