THÉVET, André (1516–1590). Cosmographie de Levant. Lyon: Jean de Tournes et Guillaume Gazeau, 1556.

Rare second edition of the famed explorer's journey of 1554, with contemporary French annotations. The first published work by French Franciscan friar André Thévet—who travelled extensively throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East across the 1540s and 1550s—Cosmographie de Levant is an essential contribution to the nascent genre of travel writing in the Early Modern era. Thévet depicts the Levant's vast landscape which he visited from 1549 to 1552. He left Venice with the financial help of the Cardinal of Lorraine, and spent two years in Constantinople before travelling through Egypt, Mount Sinai, Palestine and Syria. Thévet's text is decorated with 25 woodcuts of scenes from his voyage including wildlife and architectural feats such as the Colossus of Rhodes. The cuts are traditionally attributed to Bernard Salomon as confirmed by Peter Sharrat, who also ascribes to Salomon the portrait of Thévet on F3v, seemingly taken from life perhaps during Thévet's visit to Lyon. Blackmer 1651.

Quarto (240 × 160mm). Woodcut border around title-page, woodcut arms of Francois de La Rochefoucaulet, woodcuts in text, some full-page, woodcut portrait of the author on F3v (first four leaves including title-page silked and with losses and repairs at outer top corners, following leaves with a few smaller tears repaired and few small stains). Contemporary vellum, reverse calf ties (lowest joint split, upper cover bowed, cracking along head of both covers and spine, stains). Provenance: contemporary marginalia in French with long note on lower pastedown – Armand Jules de Rohan-Guéméné (1695–1762, Archbishop of Reims; engraved armorial bookplate: "Ex Bibliotheca Arm. Jul. Princip. de Rohan Arch. Duc. Rem." (bookplate with loss at bottom left corner).