Cordier, I, 36 ; Sommervogel, V, 308 ; Lust, Western books on China, 57 ; Lowendahl-von der Burg, China illustrata nova I, 189.<\/i><\/p>\n
First edition of this major Jesuit account, written in Portuguese in 1668.<\/p>\n
The original manuscript was brought back to Europe by Father Philippe Couplet in 1682; he presented it to Cardinal d\u2019Estr\u00e9e, who commissioned the French translation for this first edition from the Jesuit Father \u00c9tienne Bernou.<\/p>\n
Gabriel de Magalh\u00e3es (1610\u20131677) was sent on a mission to Ming-Qing China in 1640. He was initially a missionary in Sichuan province. After a long stay in Beijing, he became a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Emperor Shunzhi and subsequently retained the favour of his successor, Kangxi.<\/p>\n
In the tradition of Jesuit accounts of China, his work aims to inform and present Chinese civilisation in a favourable light. He describes political and administrative institutions, customs and traditions, religion and ritual practices, science, technology and natural curiosities, major cities and social organisation, and language: “<\/i>In the chapter on the Chinese script and language (pp. 84\u2013107), Magalh\u00e3es\u2019 treatment of Chinese phonetics was more detailed than that of Semedo, and he concluded this chapter with \u2018what was probably the first presentation of a fragment of Chinese text to a European audience\u2019. The fragment (on p. 103) consisted of sixteen characters taken from the opening lines of the Ta hs\u00fcch<\/i> [Great Learning] […] Magalh\u00e3es regarded these words of Confucius […] as eminently appropriate for explaining the task of the preacher of the Christian Gospel in China\u2018 (Mungello (1989), pp. 101\u20132)<\/i> (Lowendahl-von der Burg).<\/p>\n
\u2019<\/i>Bernou changed the title of Fr. Magalh\u00e3es\u2019s book [Doze excellencias de China<\/i>], made cuts and enriched it with notes containing clarifications on points that required them, on the author\u2019s life by Fr. Buglio [Magalh\u00e3es\u2019 companion for 36 years], and a map of Beijing, drawn up based on information provided by Magalh\u00e3es. This map, in which our author had no part, differs greatly from those of Fathers Gaubil and du Halde.“<\/i> (Sommervogel).<\/p>\n
Provenance: Old handwritten bookplates crossed out on the title page (including the Diocese of Laon); Mte H\u00e9ry, notary (repeated stamp); F. Binehof (20th-century bookplate label on the inside front cover).<\/p>\n
Scratches, scuff marks, a slightly crushed corner, a tear with a small section missing from the headpiece. Tiny marginal wormholes, a few foxing spots, stains, and minor tears in the paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
4to (242 x 183 mm) 14 nn.ll. (including first blank), 385 pp., 5 nn.ll., large engraved folding plan. Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt with raised bands, red speckled edges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":91070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[552],"product_tag":[1382,1383,1450,1389],"class_list":{"0":"post-91077","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-travel","7":"product_tag-asia","8":"product_tag-china","9":"product_tag-first-edition","10":"product_tag-general-asia","11":"pa_auteur-magalhaens-gabriel-de-2","12":"pa_type-de-livre-printed-book","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"purchasable","18":"product-type-simple"},"acf":{"artist":"Gabriel de MAGALHAENS","chapeau":"","adresse_bibliographique":"Paris, Barbin, 1688","book_type":"Printed book","provenance":"","afficher_prix":"oui"},"yoast_head":"\n