[BOUCHER, Jean] "Bouquet sacre compose des roses du Caluaire des lys de Bethlehem des jacintes d'Oliuet & de plusieurs autres belles pensees de la terre Saincte. 17th c 8vo (ca. 15 x 10,5 cm): [4-3 bl.], 3-345, [12-1 bl.] pp. on paper, in French, expertly written in brown ink (somewhat short, some edges frayed resulting in a sm. loss of words or letters). Contemp. vellum, flat spine (somewhat worn and loosening). In good condition. Contemp. manuscript copy of an immensely popular work of the French Franciscan preacher J. Boucher (1560-1631), in his final years preaching for Queen Anne, wife of Louis XIII. It first appeared Le Mans 1614, and had some 55 editions until 1780. This description of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (1610-1612) extensively deals with Muhammad's life and religion, Muslim customs etc. "As a Franciscan preacher, he gave his travel narrative a moral purpose, using what he sees in Eastern countries under Islamic rule to encourage Catholic readers to adopt a more virtuous life" (M.-C. Gomez-Géraud, in Christian-Muslim relations. A bibliographical history, vol. 9, 2017, pp. 398-404).