Bertrandon de la Brocquiere:The Travels of Bertrandon de la Brocquiere to Palestine and his return from Jerusalem overland to France during the years 1432 and 1433. London 1807 First edition.Small 4to, contemporary leather over boards, cover of spine missing,few spotting on title page, internally text clean and bright, 336p. one plate, overall very good. The manuscript of Bertrandon de la Brocquiere famous travel in the Levant, written in medieval French had been discovered during French revolution, but the events let his first publication to be done, in London in English. Bertrandon (c.1400-1459) had been sent in the Levant in a secret mission by the Duke of Burgundy. He arrived first in Rhodes in summer 1432 and continued to Paphos, in Cyprus and the Holy Land. He returned overland through Syria, Cilicia and Asia Minor. After passing Tarsus,he crossed the Taurus in Iraklia and through Laranda, still a city populated mostly by Greeks, arrived in Ikonio. He continued to Cotthay (Kotiaion/Kutahia), to Proussa (Bursa) and through Nikomidia arrived in Constantinople where he had been received by the Byzantine Emperor. He provides unique accounts for many cities in Anatolia, still populated mostly by Greeks and one of the very few detailed descriptions of the city of Constantinole, still Byzantine during early 15th century. Through several cities in Thrace he arrived in Andrinople to meet the Turkish Sultan. His detailed description of Thrace is invaluable. He returned through Serbia to Burgundy. His lengthy travel account is primordial for the understanding of the ethnological and linguistic evolution of the topography of the Levant. He describes many monuments and several cities that exist no more. Rare