FREJUS, Roland

The Relation of a Voyage Made Into Mauritania, in Africk, By the Sieur Roland Frejus of Marseilles, by the French King's Order, in the Year 1666 to Muley Arxid King of Tafiletta, &c. for the Establishment of a Commerce in all the Kingdom of Fez, and all his other conquests [...] English'd out of French. [Bound with, as usual:] Marchant. A Letter, in answer to divers Curious Questions Concerning the Religion, Manners, and Customs, of the Countrys of Muley Arxid King of Tafiletta

London: Printed by W. Godbid...to be Sold by Moses Pitt, 1671. First English Language Edition. Small octavo (14.5cm). Full 18th-c. calf, rebacked, with earlier backstrip laid down; page edges dyed red; pp [7],119;71; the second part with separate title page. Leather somewhat parched, especially on spine, and with some crazing to board edges; still a sound, firm copy, textually complete and very fresh; Very Good. Manuscript price on title page above publisher's imprint (1[s]6[d]). Lacking the three pages of advertisements noted in some copies. Engraved shelf label to front pastedown of Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet and Lord Minto (1722-1777), with the Elliot famiy motto "Credunt Quod Vident."

Of this work, John Locke is said to have written: "The author of this voyage into Mauritania was sent by the king of France's order in the year 1666, to settle trade in the kingdom of Fez, and gives a very just, though brief account of his voyage and negotiation. There is added to it a letter of monsieur Charant, who lived twenty-five years in Suez and Morocco, giving an account of the religion, manners, trade, &c. of those people" (see "Catalogue and Character of most Books of Travels," in Churchill, Collection of Voyages and Travels, 1704; and see John Samuel Harpham, "Locke and the Churchill Catalogue Revisited" [Locke Studies, Feb 2018] for a convincing argument attributing the "Catalogue" to Locke). Quite scarce in commerce, with only two copies appearing at auction this century. GOLDSMITH'S 1978.

Price: $2,500.00

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