AN // EMBASSY // FROM THE // East-India Company // OF THE // UNITED PROVINCES, // TO THE // Grand Tartar Cham // EMPEROUR OF // CHINA, // Delivered by their Excell[en]cies // PETER DE GOYER, and JACOB DE KEYZER, // At his Imperial City of // PEKING. // WHEREIN // THE CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, PORTS, RIVERS, etc. // In their Passages from CANTON to PEKING, // Are Ingeniously Described by MR. JOHN NIEVHOFF, Steward to the // AMBASSADOURS. // ALSO// An Epistle of Father JOHN ADAMS their Antagonist, concerning the whole// Negotiation. // WITH //An Appendix of several Remarks taken out of Father ATHANASIUS KIRCHER. //Englished and set forth with their several Sculptures, by JOHN OGILEY, Esq; Master of // his Majesties Revels in the Kingdom of Ireland. // LONDON, // Printed by John Macock for the Author, MDCLXIX.

London: Printed by John Macock for the Author [Ogilby],. , c.1669. A fine, attractive and handsome copy with text and plates clean and crisp.. Edition: First or 1669 Edition in English., Binding: Contemporary mottled full calf, rebacked expertly saving the original spine, spine with seven raised gilt bands; compartments densely gilt ornamentated; with gilt lettered title on brown morocco label on two and three. Blind dentelle pattern tooled on edges of covers; pasted and free endpapers marbled.


, Notes: John or Johann Nieuhof, 1618 – 1672 is best known for the account of his journey from "Guangzhou"Canton to Peking in 1655-1657, which enabled him to become an authoritative Western writer on China. The book was first published in Dutch in 1665 by Johan's brother Hendrik and the Amsterdam based publisher and printer Jacob van Meurs. The publication was successful, several edited editions followed, geared towards commercial interests, also translated into French, German, Latin and eventually into English. The English version was not published by Van Meurs, but by John Ogilby instead. The book consists of the notes and illustrations that Nieuhof made in his position as a steward on Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keizer's embassy to the emperor of China. The work itself is split into two parts. The first part contains the written account of the embassy led by Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keizer to the emperor of China. It details the entire journey from "Guangzhou"Canton to Peking and back again. This part also contains descriptions and depictions of all that the embassy came to pass on its trip. The second part consists of an overview of China, describing bridges, mountains, temples, customs and costumes supported by illustrations. Prior to this period, the image of the Chinese in Europe was dominated by fantasy illustrations. Many subsequent artists and architects based their work on Nieuhof's pictures. The present copy John Ogilby’s translation and the first Edition in English. Apart from 'An embassy from the East-India Company…’, Nieuhoff’s account of his journey, it also includes ‘A Narrative of the Success of an Embassage sent by John Maatzuyker's de Badem, General of Batavia…’ and Kircher’s ‘An Appendix or Special Remarks taken at large out of Athanasius Kircher/ His / Antiquities of China.’

, Size: Folio (418 x 270mm.), Illustration: engraved frontispiece portrait of John Ogilby by Lilly and engraved by Lombart; engraved illustrated title signed and dated by ‘W.[enceslas] Hollar, 1668.’; printed title in red and black ink; map of China signed by Hollar [double page], dedication leaf to King Charles; with 17 full-page and 2 double-page plates. 121 in-text illustrations throughout, as well as head-piece vignettes and rubricated, historiated initials at openings of dedication and sections; one endpiece.
Wide margined, large paper copy; main text jumps from 184 to 205 without loss of content. , References: Cordier (Sinica) II, 2347; Lust 536; Wing N1153, Transation: John Ogilby’s Englis, Pages: PP. illustrated title, blank, printed title, blank, map; dedication leaf to King Charles; 327, bl.; 1-18; appendix 1-106, [19 ill.]., Category: Book Voyages General; Book Asia Far East