Beschreibung:

AN IMAGINARY TRAVEL DESCRIPTION FROM AUSTRALIA. (VAIRASSE [also spelled VEIRAS, VEYRAS, etc.] S'ALLAIS, DENIS). Histoire des Sevarambes, peuples qui habitent une partie du troisiéme Continent, communément appellé la Terre Australe. Contenant une relation du gouvernement, des moeurs, de la religion, & du langage de cétte nation, inconnuë jusques à present aux peuples de l'Europe. I-II. Amsterdam (aux dépens d'Estienne Roger" 1702. Small 8:o. (20, last blank), 21-333, (1 blank, lacks last blank leaf); (4, last blank), 5-303, (25, catalogue of musical literature) pp. 2 engraved frontispieces (included in pagination), 2 titles printed in red and black. Contemporary brown calf, somewhat worn and restored, mended in the joints, gilt spine in six compartments with red label gilt. Some foxing or browning. The history of the Sevarambes is an imaginary travel description to Australia, an utopian history in the style of Thomas Moore One of the originalities of this book, presented to the manner of the works of geography or anthropology, is the integration in the novel construction of a direct criticism of the revealed and imposed religions, and in particular of the Catholicism, as practised by the Christians in the 17th century. Initially published in 1675 in London and in English, then in French in two parts (1677-1679). The first being, according to the author, a kind of historical newspaper. Several print editions were later published including one (New edition, corrected & increased) by the editor Henry Desbordes in Amsterdam in 1734. The book was an international success, translated into several languages, the first French translation was in 1682 (before another version in 1702), Dutch in 1683, German in 1689 (and again in 1714), and Italian in 1728. (Wikipedia). From the library of Swedish antiquarian bookdealer Björn Löwendahl (1941-2013). Photo.