14th-century tales of travels in Turkey, the Middle East, Near East, India and the East Indies, including an account of the birth of Muhammad

Mandeville, John. The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundevile, Kt. Which Treateth of the Way to Hierusalem: and of Marvayles of Inde, with other Islands and Countryes.

€ 7,500.00

Rare, reliable 18th-century English edition of the classic (though partly fictional) 14th-century account presented as voyages of Sir John Mandeville through Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Persia, Arabia, India and the East Indies, published from a 15th-century manuscript in the Cottonian Library (MS Titus C XVI). "This is the completest edition up to date" (Cox). According to the story he set off on his travels in 1322 from Saint Albans in England, returned in 1343, wrote the present account in 1364 and died in 1371. It was originally written in French and is thought to have been compiled from various sources by Jehan d'Outremeuse (1338-1400) or Jean de Bourgoigne (d. 1372) of Liege. It includes many well-known stories and illustrations of monstrous people and animals in exotic lands. The book also includes genuine descriptions of the regions covered and gave many Europeans their first notions of the Near East, Middle East, India and East Indies. The part on Arabia includes an account of the birth of Muhammad (p. 169).

Occasional slight browning, but well-preserved. Provenance: Sold as a duplicate by the Bodleian Library (with the Radcliffe Infirmary's armorial bookplate and cancellation stamp); later in the collection of H. C. Gleave (his bookplate).