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A great source for Russian history and foreign relations

[COYETT, Balthasar].
Historisch verhael, of beschryving van de voyagie, gedaen onder de suite van den heere Koenraad van Klenk, extraordinaris ambassadeur ... aan zijne zaarsche majesteyt van Moscovien.
Amsterdam, Jan Claesz ten Hoorn, 1677. 4to. With etched frontispiece and 6 etched folding plates by Romeyn de Hooghe. 19th-century boards. [8], 214 [= 220] pp.
€ 9,500
First edition of a valuable account detailing a Dutch embassy to Russia (1675-1676). The objective was to gain Russian participation in the anti-Swedish and anti-French alliance, and Koenraad Klenk, with his expert knowledge of Russian language and culture, was the ideal choice to lead the embassy. The mission was subsidized with more than 50,000 guilders, an extraordinary amount which was even exceeded during the journey. Although the embassy was well received and the Russians were showered with gifts, Klenk failed to persuade the Tsar to enter into war with Sweden. The six impressively evocative plates by Romeyn de Hooghe are typical examples of his rich allegorical imagery.
Final leaves restored, with the missing text supplied in manuscrip, some soling, binding worn. An excellent source for the history of Russia and its foreign relations during the reign of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich. Adelung II, pp. 359-360; Landwehr, De Hooghe Book Illustrator 46; Muller, Bibl. Neerlando-Russe 200; Tiele, Bibl. 602; Verkruijsse, Romeyn de Hooghe 1677.04.
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Cartography & exploration  >  Voyages & Travel
Europe  >  Russia
History, law & philosophy  >  Law & Politics