[CHINA] STAUNTON, GEORGE THOMAS. An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China ... Taken chiefly from the Papers of His Excellency the Earl of Macartney.
London: W. Bulmer and Co., 1797. First edition. Three volumes, the two text volumes in full period diced russia, spine gilt in six compartments, raised bands; the atlas volume is in matching period half morocco, marbled sides, all edges gilt. Text volumes: 11 1/8 x 8 1/2 inches (28.5 x 22 cm); the atlas 21 3/4 x 16 1/8 (41 x 55 cm); frontis., xxiv, 517, [1] pp.; the text frontispiece, xx, 626 pp., botanical plates (vignettes throughout the two text volumes by William Alexander and others); the atlas44 plates and maps on guards, many folding. Hinges on the text volumes weak, with some cracking, the text a little toned, some occasional foxing and offsetting to the atlas, in all an attractive set in a period or near-period binding.

The best account of George Macartney's embassy to China (the first of its kind to be undertaken from England), and of his audience with the Emperor Tchien Lung. Staunton's young son, George Thomas Staunton, acted as the translator to the party. While they had two Chinese Catholic student priests with them as translators, the expertise of these was in translating Chinese to Latin, and the twelve-year-old Staunton was the only one who could convey the Emperor's utterances directly into English for the ambassadors. The atlas volume has superb maps and plates.

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