PALLU, François (1625-84) Breve e compendiosa relatione de' viaggi di tre vescovi francesi che da... Alessandro VII. furono mandati Vicarij Apostolici à i Regni della Cina, Concincina e Tonchino... Tradotta dal francese. - Roma, di Falco, 1669
Small 8vo. Contemp. limp vellum (hinges a little loose), ms. title on spine. (4), 170, (2) pp.; old stamp and name on title (dated 1704); some light browning throughout but quite a good copy.
Scarce first Italian edition of this account of the French missions to the Far East (the first French edition was published in 1668). Pallu, who is considerd the founder of the Société des Missions Etrangères, still active today, went to Siam in 1662 with the intention of reaching China where he only arrived shortly before his death in 1684. In the meantime he returned to Europe twice and related to the Pope and the King of France about French missions in Siam, Laos and China and the problems they faced with the Portuguese, the Dutch and the jesuits. Cordier, Bibl. Sinica, 826.
Euro3800
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