Voyage Fait Par Ordre du Roy Louis XIV. Dans La Palestine,

£1,500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

First printing of one of the earliest account of Bedouins, described during a stay at Mount Carmel in 1664, later confirmed as accurate by explorers such as Niebuhr. From 1653 to 1665 the Chevalier d'Arvieux stayed in Palestine, Constantinople, and North Africa as a merchant and diplomat. His travel notes were published posthumously along with the first translation into French of Abu al-Fida's (known as Isma'il bin 'Ali bin Mahmud bin Muhammad bin 'Umar bin Shahanshah bin Ayyub bin Shadi bin Marwan) description of Arabia by Jean de la Roque (1661-1745) (titled Description Générale de l'Arabie). First edition; 12mo (16.5 x 10 cm); 4 engraved plates, 1 of which folding, contemporary ownership inscription to title and front endpaper; contemporary speckled calf, spine gilt in six compartments with gilt lettering piece, all edges speckled red, a touch of rubbing, a very good copy; [xxxiii], 316, [ii], xiv, 76, [8] pp. Atabey 38; Blackmer 50; Henze I, 101; Tobler, 108; Weber, 337.

• Printing: first
• Binding: Hardcover

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