The writing of the Regimiento de tomar la altura del polo en la mar y cosas tocantes a la navegación by Andrés García de Céspedes

Abstract

As we approach the manuscript of the Regimiento de tomar la altura del polo en la mar y cosas tocantes a la navegación we observed two types of calligraphy, which represented a possible problem of authorship. Furthermore, in the work are special features that made us think that the manus-cript is an interpolated text. There is also a rubric in four pages, which was initially attributed to the author. Another aspect that draws attention is the alteration of the date that appears on the cover.
Wanting to formulate an explanation to these findings, we decided to analyze the manuscript, having as main objective to verify the authorship of the work, for it first we needed to identify the writing of García de Céspedes and the chapters written by him, for which it was important to distinguish his ca-lligraphic features. For the proposed objectives, we proceed with the only methodological alternative for this case: compare other manuscripts of the author and of some cosmographers and major pilots previous and contemporaries to him.
Through the study it has been possible to identify the text that he wrote, confirm that the manuscript is a two-hand written text with chapters interpolated by the same author, the content of several of them reflects the influence of other experts. We have also known that the base text was written four years before the date that appears on the cover and we have verified that the rubric is not his. In addition to the conclusions mentioned above, the study has offered us an unexpected result: a manuscript that is registered with the name of García de Céspedes was not written by him, this would be the third, since other researchers indicated two books a few years ago.