First edition of an important account on the history of Christianity in China, detailing the activities of the Catholic missionaries between 1689 and 1724. It also mentions the criteria the members of the various religious orders had for conducting their work, and the difficulties that arose between the orders because of it. The work is quite rare, as we have not been able to trace any other copies in sales records of the past hundred years, and only three copies in institutions outside of Italy.
Carlo Orazi (1673-1755) was an Italian priest in the Order of Friars Minor, who arrived in China in 1700 to become a missionary. In 1706, the Kanxi Emperor declared that all missionaries would have to swear to follow the method of Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), who accommodated Chinese practices within his missionary work. Orazi took the oath and then became the vicar general of Bernardino Della Chiesa (1644-1721), bishop of Beijing. In this capacity, he was one of the main defenders of the Holy See's positions on the problem of Chinese rites. He was also the only Franciscan active in the missions founded by Propaganda Fide in the diocese of Beijing between 1707 and 1728. Although he was staunchly opposed to the Chinese rites, he studied Chinese language and culture thoroughly, and completed Friar Basilio Brollo de Glemona's (1648-1704) Latin-Chinese dictionary, which the French orientalist Joseph de Guignes (1759-1845) translated as the Dictionnaire Chinois, Français et Latin (1813).
With a contemporary annotation ("J l.10") on the title page. The wrappers are somewhat creased, with a small water stain on the fore edge of the back wrapper, and a few faint dark green stains. Three small holes in page 17, 27, and 29, affecting a few letters. Otherwise in good condition. Catto, M., "Orazi, Antonio," in: Dizionario bibliografico degli Italiani, vol. 79, 2013; OPAC SBN LIAE003064 (15 copies); WorldCat 635839221, 314503046 (4 copies).