A Memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn ... Thirteenth Edition.
by SARGENT, John
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London, Seeley and Burnside, 1837. Small 8vo. Contemporary full calf, spine with raised bands and gilt-stamped red morocco lettering-piece; overall richly decorated in gilt and blind, all edges gilt; . [iii]-xii, 435, steel-engraved portrait frontispiece by Finden, wood-engraved vignette on title, bound without half-title; minimal rubbing to binding; light offsetting from endpapers, marginal spots to frontispiece and title; presentation inscription, dated 1838, on initial blank; a good copy, decoratively bound, of a scarce title. First published in 1816, this is an account of a Christian missionary's life, activity and philosophical debates in Northern India and most importantly, Persia. The Truro-born missionary and translator Henry Martyn (1781-1812) was prolific in Arabic, Persian and Urdu, into which languages he translated biblical texts. In India 'he decided that Arabia and Persia would provide a more congenial environment, free of colonial restraints, to improve his translations of the Bible into the languages of the Islamic world. Having obtained leave to travel via Calcutta and Bombay, he left north India in October 1810. Martyn was proved correct, for the revised Persian manuscript of the New Testament was rapidly completed in 1811–12 in Shiraz, where he also engaged local scholars and Sufis in discussions about the nature and proofs of religious truth. He compiled two tracts in Persian in reply to the evidences for Islam, particularly from miracles, proposed by these scholars, and a third work entitled ‘On the vanity of the Sofee system and on the truth of the religion of Moses and Jesus’. Yet despite the seemingly more receptive atmosphere, resistance to conversion was just as strong as in India, leading within a few months to Martyn's departure. Apart from his anxiety to complete further revisions of the scriptures and to ensure their publication in the Arab world as well as in India and Persia, Martyn's by now frenetic journey westward was impelled by hopes of a further meeting with Lydia Grenfell. However, on 16 October 1812 he died a lonely death from tuberculosis at Tokat in Anatolia, en route for Constantinople. He was thirty-one. He was buried in an Armenian graveyard; his grave monument is now in Tokat Museum' (ODNB).
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Details
- Bookseller
- Henry Sotheran Ltd. (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 2093772
- Title
- A Memoir of the Rev. Henry Martyn ... Thirteenth Edition.
- Author
- SARGENT, John
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
Terms of Sale
Henry Sotheran Ltd.
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About the Seller
Henry Sotheran Ltd.
Biblio member since 2018
London, London
About Henry Sotheran Ltd.
Founded in York in 1761 and established in London on 1815, Henry Sotheran Limited has a long and distinguished history.For over 250 years we have been offering unsurpassed opportunities to collectors. Throughout our history we have prided ourselves on the quality and condition of our books and our friendly service.Our premises just off Piccadilly in the heart of London's West End are spacious and elegantly appointed and we welcome regular clients and passers-by alike to wander in and browse in a relaxing and convivial atmosphere.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Vignette
- A decorative design or illustration placed at the beginning or end of a ...