Thevenot, Jean de.

Estimate

1,500 - 2,000 GBP

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Description

The Travels... into the Levant. In three parts. viz. into I. Turkey. II. Persia. III. The East-Indies. London: Printed for H. Clark, for H. Faithorne [&c.], 1687

first edition in English, 3 parts in one volume, folio (326 x 195mm.), engraved portrait and 3 plates, engraved illustration of Malabar cyphers on p.(93), contemporary calf, lacking I4 (part 3) (presumably cancelled), single wormhole in margin of part 1, binding slightly worn, rebacked

Provenance

"George Smiths his booke: 1698", inscription; James Yonge, signature; Richard Doidge, signature

Literature

Blackmer 1650 (first edition, in French); Wing T887; Weber II, 314; Atabey 1217

Catalogue Note

"Thevenot's travels mark the beginning of the grand epoch of travel and exploration in the Levant" (Blackmer). Jean de Thevenot began his travels in the Levant in 1655, returning to Paris in 1659 to prepare the first part of his work for publication. It describes Constantinople, the Aegean Archipelago, Asia Minor and Egypt. He left Paris again in 1663, travelling to Damascus and Aleppo and thence across the desert to Bir, Orfa, Mosul and Bagdad. He spent five months in Isfahan observing local customs before joining a caravan lead by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, with whom he fell out. He further explored Persepolis and sailed from Basra to India. On his return journey he fell ill and died near Tabriz in 1667.

At the end is an alphabetical list of "the principal places described and treated of in this work", including Adra Isle [Andros], Cerigo, Chio, Delos, Gozo, Matla, Milo, Nio [Ios], Nixia [Naxos], Patino [Patmos], Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, and Valetta. There are also entries for the Red Sea, Mecha [Mecca] and Medina.