PSALMANAZAR, George

Memoirs of **** Commonly Known by The Name of George Psalmanazar; A Reputed Native of Formosa. Written by Himself, In Order to be Published after his Death. Containing: An Account of his Education, Travels, Adventures, Connenctions, Literary Productions, and Pretended Conversion from Heathenism to Christianity; Which last proved the Ocasion of his being brought over into this Kingdom, and passing for a Proselyte, and a Member of the Church of England.

Dublin: P.Wilson, J. Exshaw, E. Watts, S. Cotter, J. Potts, and J. Williams, 1765. First Irish Edition. Twelvemo. 16.5cm. Contemporary full speckled brown calf with tan and gilt leather title label. [iii]; 234pp. Strong and tight, bumping to corners, minor rubbing and scuffing to spine ends and extremities, hinges strong, cosmetic wear; internally clean and fresh, some small areas of detailed ink annotation which, combined with the ink ownership present on the title page suggest that some point this copy was most likely the property of Ann Fraser Tytler (an early 19th century juvenile author with a penchant for shipwrecks and far-flung islands), and the annotations are possibly hers (although this is purely an assumption based on known provenance, and does not add materially beyond the satisfaction of placing a piece in a puzzle), edges speckled red. A very good, neat and clean little copy, in a Dublin imprint no less, describing one of the more eccentric and unusual personalities of the apparently very long 18th century.

Price: $1,000.00

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