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Persian Miscellanies:

OUSELEY, Sir William.

  • Published: 1795 , London: Richard White,
London: Richard White,, 1795. Important early work of English orientalism First edition of the author's first book containing "numerous notes showing considerable research" (ODNB), one of the earliest reference works on Persian manuscripts. Ouseley (1764-1842) went to Paris in 1787 to study, becoming fascinated by oriental languages, particularly Persian. After a brief sojourn in the army under the duke of York he sold out and resumed his studies in Leiden, producing the present work. On his return to England n 1796 he was gazetted major in Lord Ayr's regiment of dragoons stationed at Carlisle. "In 1797 Ouseley received the honorary degree of LLD at Trinity College, Dublin, and that of PhD from the University of Rostock. He was knighted in 1800... in 1810, Sir William accompanied his brother, Sir Gore Ouseley, as private secretary, on his mission to the shah of Persia. By way of preparation for his eastern observations, he had lived some months in 1810 in the house of the Persian envoy, Mirza Abul Hasan, in London, where he learned to speak Persian. In July of that year they started from Portsmouth on HMS Lion for India and Persia, from where William Ouseley returned to Britain with the new treaty in July 1812... His valuable collection of Persian manuscripts was offered for sale, and the catalogue, written by himself and printed in 1831, contains notices of 724 manuscripts. Ouseley died at Boulogne in September 1842". Quarto (268 x 210 mm). Engraved frontispiece and 9 other similar plates. Contemporary mottled calf, spine lettered directly in gilt, compartments formed by foliate and swagged rolls enclosing sun in splendour rosettes with a star at the centre, double fillet panel to the boards, dotted edge-roll, very pale blue, strong orange, and black Gloster pattern marbled endpapers and edges, twined pearl and leaf roll gilt to the turn-ins, red silk page-marker. A little rubbed and scuffed on the boards, front joint just starting head and tail, small chip at the head of the spine, plates lightly spotted and offsetting to the facing text as often, pale toning to the text block, remains a very good copy.

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