Purchas his Pilgrimage or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discovered from the Creation Unto This Present.

. Hardback. 1617. In Foure Parts. This First Contayneth a Theologicall and Geographicall Historie of Asia, Africa and America, with the Ilands Adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the flood, the heathenish, jewish and saracenicall in all ages since, in those parts professed, with their seuerall opinions, idols, oracles, temples, priests, fasts, feasts, sacrifices and rights religious: Their Beginnings, Proceedings, Alterations, Sects, Orders and Successions. With briefe descriptions of the Countries, Nations, States, Discoveries; Priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same. The Third Edition, much enlargd with additions through the whole workOriginal polished calf, an excellent copy expertly and skillfully rebacked with original five bands and sspine preserved. Purchas was born in Thaxted. He was offered a vicarage in Eastwood, Essex, two miles from Leigh on Sea which was then a prosperous shipping centre and a congregational place for seafaring men. Purchas never travelled 200 miles from where he was born. He recorded personal narratives shared with him by sailors. Though some accounts are inaccurate, taken as a whole, they contain much of value and are frequently the only sources of information upon questions affecting the history of exploration. To produce his 'sort of religious geography' Purchas draws largeely upon the historians and political geographers of all ages. His chapters on America include "Of the New World and why it is named America", "Of the first knowledge, habaaitation and discoveries of the New World", "Of the religion and rites of the Virginians", and he offers extraordinary descriptions of native Americans. with decorative woodcut initials and headpieces. collated as perfect by Quaritch and includes a 1953 receipt from Quaritch for £7.10.0. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.…