A finely bound copy of the first French account of Siam (now Thailand) and Pallus work on the missions in China and Tonquin. The Bourges is in its third edition and the Pallu in its second edition, bound without the folding maps that is sometimes present. All editions, however, are rare.
Father de Bourges (ca.1630-1714) was a member of the first Catholic mission to Siam, arriving with his two fellow missionaries in 1662 to Ayutthaya. Since Siam was tolerant of other religions, it became a safe place for the missionaries to establish themselves, and in 1664 a second group led by Monseigneur Pallu joined the fathers in Siam after a two-year journey overland. Francois Pallu (1626-1684) was a French Bishop and missionary in Asia and a founding member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society; he was originally recruited by Alexander de Rhodes and sent to the Far East along with other missionaries, namely La Motte. Both works combined give considerable details and relations on China, Vietnam, Tonkin and the East Indies.
With the signature of Charles de Lorraine (possibly Charles III, Duke de Elbeuf) on the title page. The work has been expertly recased, some wear to boards, the corners are very slightly bumped. The leaves are lightly browned. Otherwise in very good condition. Ad 1: Cordier, Sinica, 827; USTC 6120800 (1 copy); ad 2: Cordier, Sinica, 826; USTC 6123576 (1 copy).