PURCHAS (SAMUEL) Purchas His Pilgrimes. In Five Bookes, 5 vol., 1625-1626
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PURCHAS (SAMUEL)
Purchas His Pilgrimes. In Five Bookes, 5 vol., FIRST EDITIONS of volumes 1-4, fourth edition of volume 5 ('Purchas his Pilgrimage', second issue, with dedication to King Charles), additional engraved title (second issue, dated 1625), 7 double-page or folding engraved maps by Renold Elstracke or William Hole after Henry Briggs, William Smith and others, the celebrated map of Virginia [Verner state 6; Hind state 5; Church state 4] cut close at 2 margins and with slight damage from adhesion at right-hand margin, China map in volume 5 loose (inserted from another copy), 81 smaller engraved maps in the text by or after Hondius and others (volume one with G3 in first issue state, with 'Map of the Christian World' repeat), numerous woodcut illustrations and engravings in the text including the series of Mexican antiquities, with blank R4 in volume one and colophon leaf to volume 2 (often lacking), 4 leaves with small hole touching a few letters, volume one with small light red ink stain at upper margin of approximately 150 leaves, volume 5 with foremargin of small map at page 39 shaved, title near detached and final leaf repaired without loss, contemporary calf, rebacked preserving original spines and early labels, volume 2 not quite uniform and with gilt initials "R.S." on sides [STC 20509, 20508; Hill 1403; Sabin 66682-66686], folio (typically 340 x 215mm.), William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, 1625-1626
Estimate:
£40,000 - 60,000
€47,000 - 70,000
US$ 60,000 - 91,000

Footnotes

  • A good tall copy, with wide margins, of Samuel Purchas' monumental work: "a complete set... of one of the fullest and most important collections of early voyages and travels in the English language" (Sabin). Essentially a continuation and enlargement of Hakluyt's Principall Navigations, it did however contain many accounts which had not been published before, along with numerous translations of foreign works and some of the first examples in print of several oriental languages. Included are accounts of Cortes and Pizarro, Drake, Cavendish, John and Richard Hawkins, Quiros, Magellan, van Noort, Spilbergen and Barents, the great Portuguese voyages to the East Indies, Jesuit voyages to China and Japan, East India Company voyages, and the expeditions of the Muscovy Company.

Category: Books / Books, Maps and Manuscripts

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