Friar Diego de Valadés and the Pseudo-Lullian work In rhetoricam isagoge

Abstract

When drafting pages 56 to 74 of his Rhetorica christiana (1579), Diego Valadés copied out the first part of the pseudo-Llullian work In rhetoricam isagoge, dealing with the subiecta and praedicata, which are the subject matter of rhetoric. However, it is not a faithful copy, in so far as the Franciscan quite often modifies the text by deleting, adding, replacing or transposing words or passages in this section. Even though Diego Valadés copied out of a pseudo-Llullian text, we may not simply say that he was a follower of Ramon Llull in New Spain, as he wrote the pages in issue during his stay in Rome, where he had access to most of his sources in his capacity as Procurador General of the Franciscan order, ie, during the latter part of his life in Italy. Furthermore, he used those sources so as to cast doubt on his supposed attachment to the Catalan theologian and missionary.