1953 Mandeville's Travels: Texts and Translations Volume I Volume II

Description

Colour Plates, First Edition, Folding Maps, Folding Plates, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding, Signed, With Letter

Sir John Mandeville is the supposed author of the renowned travel memou 'The Travels of Sir John Mandeville' that was first circulated between 1357 and 1371. The earliest surviving text is in French, but by the aid of numerous translations into many other languages, the work has acquired extraordinary popularity. Complete in two volumes, with volume I containing the 'Egerton Text', and volume II containing the 'Paris text', the 'Bodleian' text, and extracts from other versions. Collated, complete with one coloured frontispiece plate, a two maps (one of which is folding) to volume I, and three black and white plates to volume II. With the following ink inscription to the front free-endpaper of volume I: 'To my good friend and helper George Painter From Malcolm Letts 24.11.53'. This copy also features a charming loosely inserted letter, containing a humorous poem written by Letts: No one knows where the father of Lies, Maudeville, lies. Was he buried in Ind, or in Rome, Or at Liege, or nearer Home? I asked St. Peter, who said with a grin 'He's here all right. I let him in'. But he won't stay put: always on the go, With his pass-out checks. Went down below The other day, and came back late, After closing time, hammering on the gate? 'Sorry', he said, 'for the din'. I was wild, but I let him clock in. But oh, glory What a man for a story! 'But where is his grave', said I 'Where does he lie?' 'Oh, that's clear', said St Peter, 'quite clear' 'He's lying. Still lying, here'. ML. 23.11.53'. From the Second Series, Part II of Hakluyt Society publications, being numbers CII and CII. The Hakluyt Society is a text publication society, founded in 1846. Named after Richard Hakluyt, the renowned collector and editor of narratives of voyages and travels, the society seeks to advance knowledge and education by the publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material.