Beschreibung:

Pococke, Richard. A Description of the East, and Some other Countries. Volume the first. Observations on Egypt. London: Printed for the author by W. Bowyer; and sold by J. and P. Knapton, W. Innys, W. Meadows, G. Hawkins, S. Birt, T. Longman, C. Hitch, R. Dodsley. J. Nourse, and J. Rivington. MDCCXLIII (1743) Folio, full leather, six spine bands, two black leather labels with gilt lettering, double fillets; tp, xiii, 310 numb. pages. There are some numbering errors: pp. 85-88 pp numbered twice; pp 90 - 91 reversed (not affecting text); pp 231-232 not numbered, but text is complete. _____. Vol. II. Part I. Observations on Palaestine or the Holy Land, Syria, Mesopotamia, Cyprus, and Candia. London, Printed for the Author, by W. Bowyer. MDCCXLV (1745). Also folio, full leather, six spine bands, two leather labels with gilt triple fillets and lettering; [xii], Part I, 268 numb. pp; Part II [viii, incl. second tp], 308 numb pp. Four double-page maps, two folding plates (although one folded only about an inch). A few irregularities in plate numbering, most at the beginning. For example, Plate 40 faces p. 20, but contents and plate both indicate it should face p. 17. Similarly the next three plates (both 42 and 43 numbered 43), by plate 45 they face the appropriate page again. Set is complete with 178 plates and maps. Richard Pococke (1704-1765) was born to a prominent British family. He attended Cambridge then entered a career in the church, becoming a prelate. From 1733-1736 he toured Europe with his cousin. His observations are included in the second volume here. While many Britons with some means could tour the more urbanized parts of Europe, Pococke also visited more mountainous regions such as North Italy, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, and the Adriatic Islands of Grado and Corgle (Korcula). In 1737 he set out on a three-year tour of the East, including Egypt, the Holy Land, Cyprus, Greece and the Aegean Islands, and Asia Minor. This region was much less visited by Englishmen (at least "proper" ones who then wrote about it). Thus Pococke's became one of the early accounts of the area. His descriptions of Egyptian monuments is especially extensive. Both volumes are extensively illustrated with maps, building elements and plans, monuments (many temples and obelisks), statues, tombs, as well as plants, and even a few people. In the mid-18th century, this would have been a monumental undertaking in itself, with the two volumes having nearly 200 illustrations, including some double-page and folding maps and plates. No wonder it was popular even during the author's lifetime. When he returned, he brought seeds from the famous cedars in Lebanon, and planted them on his next travels to Ireland between 1747 and 1760. Reportedly many of those trees still stand. He spent his final years traveling around Britain until his death in 1765. Condition: Complete, 3 parts in two volumes; folio, 16 1/4 by 10 inches with volume I 1 3/4 inches thick, and volume II 2 1/2 inches thick. In a contemporary full calf binding with 6 raised bands and gilt printed green leather labels; with the bookplate of the Royal Military College to both front pastedowns and the stamp: "Sold by H.M. Stationery Office," on the bookplates. The joints are rubbed and worn and the edges rubbed raw in some areas. Front hinge of volume II is cracked; closed tear to the bottom right corner of the frontis, with no loss. Complete with all 178 plates, maps and plans which are clean and fresh.