RYCAUT, Paul (1629-1700). The Present State of the Ottoman Empire ... The Third Edition, London, 1670, folio, frontispiece, 2 plates and 19 illustrations, original calf. A FINE COPY WITH A DISTINGUISHED TRIPLE MODERN PROVENANCE.

RYCAUT, Paul (1629-1700).  The Present State of the Ottoman Empire. Containing the Maxims of the the Turkish Politie, The most material Points of the Mahometan Religion, Their Sects and Heresies, their Convents and Religious Votaries. Their Military Disciple, With an exact Computation of their Forces both by Land and Sea. Illustrated with divers Pieces of Sculpture, representing the variety of Habits amongst the Turks ... The Third Edition. London: "Printed for John Starkey and Henry Brome, and are to be sold by Robert Boulter, at the Turks-Head in Bishops-gate-Street," 1670. Folio (314 x 198mm). Engraved frontispiece, 2 engraved plates, each with four subjects, 19 engraved illustrations in the text (some very light staining mainly at the margins of the frontispiece and title). Contemporary calf, old paper lettering-piece on the spine (joints rubbed, lightly rubbed and scuffed). Provenance: C. R. AND J. E. ASHBEE (red morocco label on front pastedown); GERALD DE GAURY (modern armorial bookplate); "W. Thesiger's copy" (pencil inscription on the front pastedown, presumably WILFRED THESIGER (1910-2003, British army officer, writer and explorer). "... Richard Hayward, 1805 (signature on title). [H]is most important work ... [I]t ... presents an animated and, on the whole, a faithful picture of Turkish manners. It long proved a useful companion to Richard Knolles's 'History' [please see lot 453], while the writer's impartiality renders it of interest to the modern reader" (DNB). Atabey A Bibliographical Catalogue of the Ottoman Empire 1067; Baer The Ottomans (2021) pp.12-13; Blackmer 1463: "An extremely important and influential work, which provides the fullest account of Ottoman affairs during the 17th-century"; not in Brunet; Cox I, 210; Lowndes 2160; Wing R2414. The first comprehensive description of the Ottoman empire written by an Englishman. Most copies of the first edition of 1666 were destroyed in the Great Fire of London and are consequently excessively rare, to the extent that Blackmer did not possess a copy. A FINE COPY WITH A DISTINGUISHED TRIPLE MODERN PROVENANCE.