La Vie de Saint François Xavier de la Compagnie de Jesus, Apostre des Indes et du Japon.

Paris : Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy, 1682. Quarto, contemporary full calf, spine in compartments with elaborate gilt-tooled decoration and title in gilt; verso of front endpaper with bookseller label of Thomas-Scheler, Paris; pp. [16], 634, [10]; title with woodcut device, and with early manuscript ‘par le P. Bouhours, Dominique S.J.’, and old label and stamps of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice (Issy-les-Moulineaux); large folding map (one fold discoloured and with loss, restored and relined), copperplate engraving at head of first text page, historiated initials, engraved tailpieces; occasional heavy browning, a few leaves with staining at gutter, otherwise a good example with wide margins.

First edition of this famous biography of St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), the Apostle of the East and co-founder of the Society of Jesus, by the French Jesuit writer Dominique Bouhours (1628-1702). The work contains valuable descriptions of Japan and Ceylon.

Cordier, BJ, 145-146