Extracted from an Eastern Manuscript, which was translated into French by order of His Majesty the King of Denmark. With an Introduction, containing, I. A description of Asia, according to the oriental geographers. II. A short history of Persia from the earliest times to the present century: and an appendix, consisting of an essay on Asiatick Poetry, and the history of the Persian language. To which are added, pieces relative to the French translation London. Printed by J. Richardson for T. Cadell, 1773. In 8.º de 21x13 cm. com [xliv], lxxii, 196 pags. Esplêndida encadernação da época em inteira de marroquim vermelho, com nervos e rótulo verde na lombada, totalmente lavrada com magníficos ferros a ouro apresentando motivos vegetalistas. Magnifico papel de guardas com seixas douradas. Exemplar com os cortes dourados por folhas. Impressão com alguns caracteres árabes.  Binding: Superb red morocco gilt floral elements on spine, boards, and edges with rolled tools. Gilt at paper cuts. First edition in English of the distinguished oriental scholar and multi-linguist's first book. In 1768 King Christian VII of Denmark brought to England a life of Nadir Shah, and proposed that Jones (who was at that time private tutor to Lord Althorp, the only son of the first Earl Spencer) translate it into French. This was published in two quarto volumes in 1770. Sir William Jones (1746-1794) began studying Arabic whilst at Harrow, as a leisure activity! At Oxford, with the assistance of a Syrian whom he brought privately to the university, he became fluent in both Arabic and Persian. He also learned French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, and Chinese, and in later life he immersed himself in Indian culture, becoming the first English scholar to master Sanskrit. He is said to have known 13 languages thoroughly and 28 fairly well.