43 - JACQUES DE VILLAMONT: Les voyages du Seigneur De Villamont divise en trois livres, Dernière édition. Paris, 1602

JACQUES DE VILLAMONT: Les voyages du Seigneur De Villamont divise en trois livres, Dernière édition. Paris, 1602 Early, fourth edition, augmented by the author, of his travels undertaken in 1589-1590 (first edition 1595). In 8vo. Contemporary full leather, heavily trimmed around with some loss to the spine. Text generally very clean with only isolated spotting; a few leaves with marginal waterstaining; title page with a tiny hole. Complete: [14], 345, [42], plus [10] blank leaves at the end. Overall, an almost very good copy. Jacques de Villamont left Venice for the Levant in April 1589. En route he visited Corfu and Lefkada (a rare stop, as the second was under Ottoman rule at the time). After Kefalonia and Zante, he toured the Peloponnese Chlemoutsi, Proti, Navarino, Modon, and Coron then via Cerigo to Candia, Rhodes, and Cyprus, before reaching the Holy Land in autumn 1589. The present work reflects his experiences but also incorporates material from other sources. The second book is largely devoted to the Greek Archipelago. Villamont’s lively account, full of fresh information about the Levant, was an immediate success and went through multiple editions in the major French cities of the period. References: Blackmer 342; not in Atabey