12mo. [8], 647 pp., [1], contemporary full-calf, slightly worn round the edges, title gilt & decoration on raised spine, red title label on spine, all edges red, some spotting, otherwise copy in good condition, Jacques Vincent, Paris, first edition, 1730.

Synopsis

Jesuit born in Bar-le-Duc, Jacques Villotte (1656-1743) was sent to China, he had to go through Turkey, Persia and Tartary. He left Marseilles in 1688,and reached Isfahan in October 1689. When his various attempts to enter China were futile, he settled in Isfahan, where he remained for twelve years until he was recalled to France in 1712. In Isfahan, he taught plain songs to the Persians, and translated several books in Armenian, among them the Compendium of Christian Doctrine published in Rome in 1713 by the care of the Propaganda Fide. We also owe him a very valuable Latin- Armenien dictionary (1714, folio), one of the first of its kind. The account of his travels has been put together by another Jesuit, Father Nicolas Frizon. Bibliographic references: Sommervogel, VIII, 787-789; Not in Blackmer or Atabey.