Purchas, Samuel

Together 5 volumes, the complete 4 parts, and the supplemental Pilgrimage comprising the fifth volume, Folio (12 7/8 x 8 in.; 325 x 205 mm). Engraved additional title dated 1624 (vol. I), 88 engraved maps, comprising 7 double-page and folding, 81 half-page engraved maps in the text. Numerous woodcut and a few engraved text illustrations and decorative woodcut initials. Late eighteenth-century diced calf, gilt, rebacked preserving original spine panels, later marbled endpapers, mottled edges. Condition: Vol I, engraved title to volume I probably supplied, loose duplicate leaf laid-in at p.703, pp.122-127r affected by yellow dye bled into the fore-edge, p.144 incorrectly paginated to read 138; map of India with some glue stains where tipped-in, few rust spots, colophon repaired at head (vol. I); Vol II p.1245 affected by map opposite fading to page, cc-cc4 of index expertly repaired at head (vol. II); vol III pp.193-200, pp.231-244v, pp.815-870v, pp.911-1010, with tiny gouges at fore-edge (vol. III),; vol IV folding map of Virginia at p.1682 cropped to plate edge, and partly in facsimile; light dampstains at head pp.1175-1186, fore-edge repaired on 8 rear leaves of the table; vol V light dampstains at upper corner to nearly one third of the text, margins of some leaves slightly defective affecting a few letters of marginal notes or map edges, text lightly faded in some areas, occasional slight browning or thumbsoiling; covers slightly bowed (vol. IV), joints expertly restored, some edges lightly rubbed, corners bumped.

'Stamford...1700' (inscription partly effaced to title of vol. V) — 'Williams Bookseller Cheltenham Library' (bookseller's label to front pastedowns of vols I, III, IV) — Maggs Bros. Ltd. (1994) — De Orbe Novo Collection (Bloomsbury New York, 3 December 2009, lot 77) 

STC 20509 & 20508.5; European Americana 625/173; Borba de Moraes II, pp. 692-93; Church 401A; Hill 1403; Sabin 66682-86

First edition. This copy probably one of thirty or more copies presented to the dedicatees, as indicated by the alterations of various headlines. The alterations on two leaves of Volume I (pp.703-6) and on the heading on p.704 where the headline 'Hollanders lying devices, to disgrace the English' was changed to 'Amboyna taken by the Dutch. Ingratitude. Boasting'. The alterations had occured only on these copies for the dedicatees who had been comprised of members of pro- and anti- Dutch parties. Purchas and his publisher, William Stansby, were only able to address a few of the offensive headlines that caused concern.

The fourth volume includes extended material on English voyages, the colonization of North America and the Virginia map. Though his editorial methods are often compared unfavorably with Hakluyt's, his work was probably more influential and more widely read. The work took more than three years to print, and was the largest book published on an English press up to that time.