[Ethiopia] Ludolf (Leutholf), H. Historia Aethiopica,

sive brevis & succincta descriptio Regni Habessinorum, Quod vulgò malè Presbyteri Iohannis vocatur. I. De natura & indole regionis & incolarum. II. De Regiminie Politico, Regum successione &c. III. De statu Ecclesiastico, initio & progressu religionis Christianae &c. IV. De rebus privatis, litteraturâ, oeconomica, &c. Frankfurt a.M., B.C. Wust for J.D. Zunner, 1681. (336) p., large fold. engr. general map, 8 fold. plates, 2 double-p. tables, contemp. hvellum, folio.

Title-p. loosening and w. small central burnhole (w. ensuing sm. browned spot in a few preliminary lvs), one plate trimmed to/ just inside the (fraying) lower border, lacks first free endpaper; second half partly foxed/ sl. browned. With bookplate of the Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente in Amst. and their library label on spine. See also Catalogus van de Bibliotheek der Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente te Amsterdam (Amst., F. Muller, 1854), this copy listed on p. 57, nr. 29. Milkias 9136. Streit XVI, 4654. Paulitschke 1156. Gay 2658. Fumagalli 1429. First edition of one of the earliest and most important publications on Ethiopia, with fine large plates of animals. Ludolf published a commentary volume 10 years later. Hiob Ludolf (1624-1704) was the founder of the study of Ethiopic linguistics.