antiquarian bookseller - Peter Harrington

Peter Harrington Antiquarian Bookseller
28. BURTON, Richard F.
Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to
El-Medinah and Meccah.
London, Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1855–6 [17447]
£6500
3 volumes, 8vo. Contemporary deep red polished half calf,
spines gilt in compartments, double green morocco labels,
marbled sides and endpapers, top edges gilt; the third volume
bound to match but using morocco in place of calf. With 15
full page illustrations, 6 of which are in colour, plus 2 fold out
maps and 1 fold out diagrams. Bookplates of Frederick S. Peck
in first two volumes. A little skilful repair to extremities of first
two volumes, a very good set.
FIRST EDITION. Forbidden to non-Muslims, less than half
a dozen Europeans were known to have made the hajj, or
pilgrimage, to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina
and lived, and of those only the Swiss explorer J. L.
Burckhardt had left a detailed account. Burton made the
pilgrimage in complete disguise as a Muslim native of the
Middle East, an exploit of linguistic and cultural virtuosity
which carried considerable risk. During the several days
that Burton spent in Mecca, he performed the associated
rites of the pilgrimage such as circumambulating the
Kaaba, drinking the Zemzem water and stoning the
devil at Mount Arafat. His resulting book surpassed all
preceding Western accounts of the holy cities, made him
famous and became a classic of travel literature.
29. BURTON, Richard F.
The Memorial Edition of the Works
… [Comprising] Personal Narrative
of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and
Meccah, [together with] A Mission
to Gelele, King of Dahome, [and]
Vikram and the Vampire or Tales
of Hindu Delivery [and] First
Footsteps in East Africa.
London, Tylston and Edwards, 1893–94 [33979] £2500
4 works in 7 volumes, 8vo. Original black cloth, decorations
to boards gilt, titles to spines gilt, top edges stained red, black
coated endpapers. Illustrated throughout. Creasing to spine
ends, light abrasion to boards, small bookseller’s label to
corner of each pastedown. A very good set.
Memorial Edition. These titles were all that were issued in
this edition, for each of which Isabel Burton wrote a new
preface.
30. CHARDIN, Sir John.
The Travels … into Persia and the
East-Indies. The First Volume [all
published], Containing the Author’s
Voyage from Paris to Ispahan. To
which is added, The Coronation of
this Present King of Persia, Solyman
the Third.
London, for Moses Pitt, 1686 [31936] £3500
Folio (313 × 195 mm). Contemporary dark calf, rebacked with
original spine laid down, red morocco label, further repairs
to top edge of front board and corners. Engraved portrait
frontispiece, additional engraved title, folding map and 16
plates (of which 11 are folding), engraved title vignette,
headpieces and initials. Book label of Edward Faridany.
Extremities rubbed, some tears to plates repaired on verso,
one plate with small hole, a few trivial marginal stains towards
end, overall a very good copy, the paper strong and fresh.
FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. Chardin was a dealer in jewels
Catalogue 57: Travel Section 2: Africa and the Middle East to Persia
who first travelled to the East in 1665; his most important
voyage was made in 1671 and he travelled by a different
route than prior visitors as he proceeded by way of the
Black Sea and bordering countries. He remained with the
Persian court for four years, was robbed of almost all he
possessed, but returned to Europe, via the Cape of Good
Hope, an extremely rich man. He left France after the
revocation of the Edict of Nantes, was knighted by Charles
II and died in 1712. “His account of the Persian Court and
of his business transactions with the Shah are of great
interest. Sir William Jones regarded his narrative as the
best yet published on the Mohammedan nations” (Cox).
20 21
Cox I, p. 250; Wing C2043.
31. CHURCHILL, Winston S.
The River War. An Historical
Account of the Reconquest of the
Soudan.
London, Longmans, Green, and Co., 1902 [37120] £1375
8vo. Original red cloth, gilt titles and pictorial decoration to
both spine and front board, black endpapers. With frontispiece,
maps and plans, six of them folding. Marginal browning,
hinges starting and front free endpaper becoming loose, but
overall a very good, cloth slightly rubbed at the extremities,
spine sunned, chipping and splitting at head and tail.
Second edition, revised (the first one volume edition). The
text had been revised considerably, and a new chapter
added describing the ultimate destruction of the Khalifa
and the end of the war. 1000 copies published on 15
October 1902.
Woods A2(b).