Nieuwe doch aanmerkens-waardige historie van Abissinien, andersints Ethiopien, getrokken uit de Latijnsche historie .. en nu in't Nederduitsch gebracht door Willem Calebius.

Utrecht, Johannes Ribbius, 1687.4to. Later half vellum, with old brocade-paper to boards. With folding map (mounted on Japanese paper) and 8 engraved plates (3 folding). 222,(10) pp.First Dutch edition. - The treatise by the scholar, Job (Hiob) Ludolf (1624-1704), was first published in Latin, Historia Aethiopica, in 1681, and is regarded as the first authoritative account of Abyssinia. He has been called the 'founder of Ethiopian studies in Europe'. Although he never visited the country, Ludolf formed a close working relationship with an Ethiopian monk resident in Rome, himself clearly a highly intelligent man. From this fruitful partnership emerged grammars and dictionaries of the classical Ethiopian language as well as a lengthy history of the country. The large folding map by Tellez, is a landmark of cartography, as it is the first to show the source of the Blue Nile at Lake Tana. The fine plates depict illustrations of Ethiopean fauna, a banana plant, decapitation of missionnaries, etc. A monumental work on Ethiopia dealing with its history, inhabitants, natural history, language and literature. It is the most illustrious name in Ethiopic scholarship. - (Owner's name on title-page; partly dampstaining, slight browning, stronger to one quire). - Rare Dutch edition.Tiele 702; Cat. NHSM I, p.203; Cox I, p.365: Still a valuable work; Gay 2658; Ibrahim-Hilmy I, p.395.