1787, ISBN: 4330d467ca8d9a6a4615687f7adf9831

gebonden uitgave

Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [SC: 40.72], [PU: G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London], 2 vol. 8vo. [4], i-xii, [1], 2-418, [4]; [5], ii-iv, [1], 2-500, [18] pp. Contemporary tree calf with the… Meer...

Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [SC: 40.72], [PU: G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London], 2 vol. 8vo. [4], i-xii, [1], 2-418, [4]; [5], ii-iv, [1], 2-500, [18] pp. Contemporary tree calf with the spines in six compartments, two red morocco labels lettered in gilt on each spine, spines with gilt decorations including shining suns embossed in gilt; all edges decoratively stained yellow. A very attractive binding indeed. Illustrated with two folding maps and with three copper-engraved folding plates. Atabey 1303. Cox I 235. Lowndes V 2790. University of Toronto, British Armorial Bindings, "Smith, John, Sir, 1st Baronet (1744 -1807)". Baronet John Smith's bookplates on each volume's front pastedown. Smith was the first in the Smith-Marriott Baronetcy. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Smith also served as the High Sheriff of Dorset. Originally published in Paris in 1787, this is the first English Language edition. Completing the title page: Containing the present natural and political state of those countries, their productions, arts, manufactures, and commerce; with observations on the manners, customs, and goverment of the Turks and Arabs. According to Cox this is "one of the most exact and valuable works of the kind ever published . ". Volney served in the Estates-General and was later imprisoned during the reign of terror, before gaining favor with Napoleon. His visit to Syria and Egypt was inspired by a love of ancient history and philology. A fascinating Enlightenment-era travel narrative of the Near East, beautified by its detailed maps and illustrations. Joints show some wear, but the bindings are secure and firm. A bookplate was removed from each free front endpaper, with volume one's endpaper showing two small spots of loss. Each endpaper has a small inscription denoting these as first editions.<

1788, ISBN: 4330d467ca8d9a6a4615687f7adf9831

Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [SC: 22.62], [PU: G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London], HISTORY, NEAR EAST, MIDDLE EGYPT, SYRIA, TRAVEL, 2 vols.: xii, 418; iv, 500, [15] p. 22 cm. 5 engraved fo… Meer...

Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [SC: 22.62], [PU: G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London], HISTORY, NEAR EAST, MIDDLE EGYPT, SYRIA, TRAVEL, 2 vols.: xii, 418; iv, 500, [15] p. 22 cm. 5 engraved fold-out plates, including 2 maps. 1. Full tree-calf leather. Corners lightly bumped. Vol. 2. Small dent on bottom of rear board in vol. 1 as well as a bit of soiling to lower edge of text block. Vol. 2 has large horizontal tear in p. 327, chip in third plate, and dampstains to front pastedown and inner margins of first pages. Paper bright and clean. Title continues: "Containing The present Natural and Political State of those Countries, their Productions, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; with Observations on the Manners, Customs, and Government of the Turks and Arabs." Volney (1757-1820) was a well-travelled, learned man. He embarked on a journey to the Near East in late 1782 and spent nearly seven months in Ottoman Egypt. Afterwards, he lived for nearly two years in Greater Syria in what is today Lebanon and Israel in order to learn Arabic. He returned to France in 1785 where he spent the following two years compiling his notes and writing these volumes. He continued to travel in later years, being expelled from the U.S.A. as a suspected spy in 1797. It seems his life was always an adventure, for he narrowly escaped the guillotine during the French Revolution. Of interest in these well-preserved volumes is the account given of the Arabic press at the convent of Marhanna (vol. 2 pp. 190-191) with a catalogue of books printed there (p. 196). On the macabre side is the extensive discussion of diseases prevalent in Egypt, including smallbox, blindness, cutaneous eruptions, plague, and Neapolitan Disease, which seems to be syphillis (vol. 1 pp. 240-258). Indexed.<