Purchas his Pilgrimes by PURCHAS, Samuel (1577?-1626)

In five bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globes. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa, to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to the Red Sea, the Abassine, Arabian, Persian, Indian, shoares, continents, and ilands. The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinae with others, and the Indian nauigations further prosecutes: their iust commerce, nobly vindicated against Turkish treacherie; victoriously defended against Portugall hostilitie; gloriously advanced against Moorish and ethnike perfidie; hopefully recouering from Dutch malignite, iustly maintayned against ignorant and malicious calumnie. The fifth, naiugations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the Easterne parts of the World : continuing the English-Indian occurrents, and contayning the English affaires with the Great Samorine, in the Persian and Arabian Gulfes, and in other places of the continent, and ilands of and beyond the Indies : the Portugall attempts, and Dutch disasters, divers sea-fights with both; and many other remarkable relations. Together with : Pvrchas his Pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation unto this present. In four parts. This first contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Flovd, the heathenish, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since, in those parts professed, with their seuerell opinions, idols, oracles, temples, priests, fasts, feasts, sacrifices, & rites religious : their beginnings, proceedings, alcerations, sects, orders and successions. With briefe descriptions of thr countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and public customs, and the most remarkable rarities of natvre, or humane industrie in the same. Hereunto is also annexed certaine Russian obseruations by Sir Ierome Horsey, and Indian Obseruations by Master William Methold. Fourth edition (as issued to complete the Pilgrimes). London : printed by William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, 1625-26. Five volumes, folio, the first four volumes in blind ruled contemporary calf, edges stained red, each measuring 350 mm tall; the fifth volume in contemporary paneled calf and measuring 330 mm tall, all five volumes rebacked with matching spines, contrasting morocco title label gilt-lettered Purchas's Pilgrimage; all five volumes with the armorial bookplate of The Right Honorable George Rose (1744-1818). Collation : Vol. I : engraved title page (supplied, remargined at head and foot to match); pp. [xxxiv], 186; [2 - blank]; (8); 748, (23); engraved maps after Hondius; the map on p. 65 in the first state, duplicating the Map of the Christian World on p. 115; the marginal note on p. 217 in corrected state to 'Eshim', unusually retaining the Tt signature, but with the associated mispagination noted in Sabin; signatures Mmmm4 and Mmmm5 in the first state. Vol. II : pp. [iv]; 749 - 1860; [38]; colophon; maps. Vol. III : pp. [xxvi]; 1140; [68], maps. Vol. IV :  pp. [vi]; 1141 - 1973; [40]; maps, the double page map of Virginia supplied trimmed, the map of New France etc. bound in at p.1882 rather than 1872. Vol. V (Pilgrimage) : pp. [xl]; 1047; [35]; maps. Occasional pale stains and paper flaws to the margins, a couple of leaves remargined, overall a very good complete set. The fourth edition of the Pilgrimage - ""the best edition"" (Sabin) - forms the fifth and final volume to Pvrchas his Pilgrimes, ""One of the fullest and most important collections of early voyages and travels in the English language."" (Sabin) ""This great geographical collection is a continuation and enlargement of Hakluyt's The Principal Navigations. At the death of Hakluyt [in 1616] there was left a large collection of voyages in manuscript which came into the hands of Purchas, who added to them many more voyages and travels ... This fine collection includes the accounts of Cortes and Pizarro, Drake, Cavendish, John and Richard Hawkins, Quiros, Magellan, van Noort, Spillbergen, and Barents, as well as the categories of Portuguese voyages to the East Indies, Jesuit voyages to China and Japan, East India Company voyages, and the expeditions of the Muscovy Company."" (Hill) Sabin 66682-66686; Church 401A; Hill p 243; Borba de Moraes II, pp 692-693 Provenance : The fifth volume: Thomas Tinkerson, his signature, dated 1714, to title page; The five volumes: The Right Honorable George Rose, Treasurer of the Navy, his armorial bookplate to each pastedown; Maggs Bros., London, acquired 1980; private collection.