ΛΑΟΝΙΚΟΥ ΧΑΛΚΟΚΟΝΔΥΛΗ: [Αποδείξεις Ιστοριών] [Laonic Chalcondile Athenien]: L Histoire de la decadence de l Empire Grec et establissement de celuy des Turcs…, avec la continuation de la meme histoire depuis la ruine du Peloponese jusque a present 1649 et des considerations sur celle. Paris 1650. Final edition, but the best with all the fine illustrations which were absent in the first editions and the only one with the continuation up to 1649.Royal Folio,text in French,later nice binding leather over boards slightly trimmed,text with some spotting and uniform browning in the pages, characteristic of the used paper on this edition,some marginal worming in few pages, several mispaginations but complete all parts present,engraved title closely trimmed as usually,one hundred six (106) copper engravings in total including one double page.The chronicle itself is illustrated by 23 portraits of rulers.The beautiful sixty (60) big copper engraved costumes of the Levant were originally designed in Constantinople in mid 16th century.These costumes collection is the earliest corpus of printed representations of Greek dresses from several places of Greece as from Thrace, Macedonia, Chios, Pera of Constantinople, of Greek merchants, nobles, villagers etc. A unique ensemble Chalcocondyles extensive history describes the period 1298-1460s and provides a unique account for the steady fall of Byzantium and the rise of Turks in the area. The history continues in this edition up to 1649 with additions from other contemporary historians with result a huge work. Books 1-10 are the original history by Chalcondyle (1298-1462),the Books 11-18 is the Continuation by Thomas Artus (1463-1612), Books 19-22 the futher continuation by Mézeray (1612-1649) and finally the Appendices: Illustrations of costumes, the history of the Seraglio, and the prophetic tables.It is very richly illustrated with one hundred six copper engravings in total, portraits,costumes,views and several other engravings,the plan of Constantinople is not present in this edition. A magnificent example of 17th-century historical compilation and book art,a landmark work for the Levant. Αtabey 214, Not in Blackmer, Navari 138