TRAVELS THROUGH SYRIA AND EGYPT, in the Years 1783, 1784, and 1785 by VOLNEY, M. C-F - 1787

London: C. G. J. and J. Robinson. Complete 2 volume set bound in half leather over marbled boards. 1787. 1st edition. hb. 8vo, Translated from the original French. Pagination: volume I, pp. viii, 418; volume II, pp. iv, 500, index, errata page. . Constantin Francois Chasseboeuf, the Comte de Volney (1757-1820) was the son of a prosperous lawyer who, through the good fortune of the receipt of an inheritance in 1781, was able to set out on an ambitious tour of Syria and Egypt. After a year spent in preparations, he departed France with a knapsack on his back, a rifle on his shoulder, and 6,000 livres sewn into a money belt. He then spent the next four years steeping himself in the culture and history of the regions through which he passed. The results of this trip were published in 1787 as "Voyage en Egypt et en Syrie" (our offering being the first English edition of that title). Volney was elected to the Estates General of France in 1789. In 1791 he published his other famous work, "Les Ruines, or Meditation sur les Revolutions des Empires", which was translated into English and published the following year (1702). In his lifetime, and during the first half of the 19th century, Volney's reputation as a "free thinker" was at its peak, although it is now overshadowed by that of Chateuabriand, Voltaire and Thomas Paine. Our offering contains the folding map of Syria (partially repaired) in volume I and three folding plates in volume II; all engraved on copper. The present state of the binding is very rough, although the boards are present (and barely attached), and there is occasional foxing to the contents. Small loss to bottom corner of pp. 187/188. Altogether, this set is an excellent candidate for restoration of the binding, and has been priced accordingly. .