Siam - Thailand - Library of Charles Marie de La Condamine - Lot 705

Siam - Thailand - Library of Charles Marie de La Condamine TACHARD (Guy) Voyage de Siam, des pères Jésuites, envoyés par le Roy aux Indes & à la Chine. Avec leurs observations astronomiques, et leurs remarques de physique, de géographie, d'hydrographie, & d'histoire (Suivi de) Second voyage du Père Tachard et des Jésuites envoyés par le Roy au royaume de Siam. Contenant diverses remarques d'histoire, de physique, de géographie, & d'astronomie. Paris, Seneuze et Horthemels, 1686 and Paris, Horthemels, 1689. 2 volumes in-4; illustrated with 26 plates hors texte (some with double pages). Copies of numerous autograph letters and copies of handwritten letters relating to this voyage (see list below). ½ brown basane with later corners, smooth spines, gilt fillets, burgundy titles, two of which mention "Lettres autographes et Copies de lettres manuscrites relat. à ce voyage", red speckled edges. Rare reunion of the original editions of Père Tachard's two voyages. Complete with all plates. A reference book for its astronomical observations and remarks on physics, geography, hydrography and history. This work provides invaluable information on the mores, customs, politics and natural history of the kingdom of Siam. ¤ List of Autographs enclosed, made by Georges Heilbrun (76 rue de Seine, Paris 6): "1/ Letter from the Marquis de Seignelay. January 1690 (copy) - 2/ Mémoire du Père Tachard adressé au Marquis de Segnelay. January 1690 (copy) - 3/ Letter from Madame Constance to Père de La Breüille (recounting the persecutions she had to suffer)(copy) - 4/ Placet from Père de Bèze to the King. (copy) - 5/ Letter from Madame Constance to the King, January 8, 1691 (corrected minutes) - 6/ Letter from Père de Bèze to Père de La Chaize (27 pages, copy) - 7/ Letter from Guiomar de Pina in Portuguese (original) - 8/ Two bills from Père Tachard to the Marquis de Seignelay (corrected minutes) - 9/ Réponse au Mémoire présenté au Roi. 9/ Réponse au Mémoire présenté au Roi de Siam par le chevalier de Chaumont, 1685 (copy for the Ambassador's use) - 10/ Letter to Père Tachard. 1687 (copy) - 11/ Letter from Père Tachard to the Pope (minute) - 12/ Letter from Père Tachard to Monsieur de Chaumont (copy) - 13/ Letter from Constance to the Marquis de Seignelay, 1689 (copy) - 14/ Letter from Constance of 1687 (copy) - 15/ Letter from Constance to the reverend Père Le Picard - 16/ Copy of two letters, including one from Père Wisdelou - 17/ Letter in Spanish from Constance to P. La Chaize, 1685 (original) - 18/ Second letter to Père La Chaize, in French and signed Constantin Phaulkon - 19/ Third letter from Constance to Père La Chaize (signed minute). Provenances: 1/ Copy from the Library of Charles Marie de La Condamine (red stamp "Ex lib. Carl. Mar. de La Condamine"). (*) Presence of the label "H. Sotheran & Co, Booksellers and Bookbinders, London". At the end of the 19th century, the work appeared in the catalog of the famous London bookshop, with the notice mentioning: an important copy for having belonged to the famous traveler La Condamine, containing very interesting letters (originals or copies) relating to the Voyage (and which were apparently added by himself). 2/ On the title page, it is noted in pencil: "n°1315 du cat. de La Condamine"). See "Catalogue des livres de la bibliothèque de feu Monsieur de La Condamine ... dont la vente se fera le 16 mai 1774... en sa maison, cul-de-sac, S. Thomas du Louvre. Se trouve à Paris, Dubois, père & fils, 1774". 3/ It is also noted in pencil "Provient sans doute de la Bibl. Pelliot". Paul Pelliot (1878 - 1945), French linguist, great sinologist and Tibetologist, explorer and specialist in the Dunhuang manuscripts. (*) Charles Marie de La Condamine (1701-1774), French explorer and scientist, 18th-century astronomer and encyclopedist. Knight of the Royal, Military and Hospitaller Orders of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, secretary to His Serene Highness Monseigneur le Duc d'Orléans. He was a member of the Académie royale des Sciences de Paris, the Royal Society of London, the Academies of Berlin, St. Petersburg, Bologna and Cortona, and the Académie de Stanislas1 in Nancy. He was elected to the Académie française in 1760, and received by Buffon. He is famous for leading a French geodetic expedition to Ecuador, which measured three degrees of the meridian to determine the figure of the Earth. His contributions to the botany, zoology and geography of Ecuador and Amazonia make him a precursor of Humboldt.