CONFUSIUS. - CHUN CIEU, THE FIRST TRANSLATION INTO A WESTERN LANGUAGE.

De Confucii Libro Chun cieu. Auctore T.S. Bayer. (Theophilus Siegfried Bayer).

Petropoli, St. Petersburg, Typis Academiae, 1740.

4to. No wrappers. In: "Classes Tertia continens Historica. Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae", Tomus VII ad Annos 1734 & 1735. The whole section of "Historica"offered. Title-page to Tome VII (with engraved vignette), halftitle (to the section) a. pp. 345-426, 6 engraved plates. Bayer's paper: pp. 362-426 and 5 engraved plates with numerous chinese characters. Clean and broad-margined.

First printing (in part) of the first Western translation of any part of Confusius' influential Chun Cieu, being the fourth volume of his works.
"The title Chun Cieu (Chunqiu) signifies the Spring and Autumn. He discourses like an historian of the expditions of diversr princes, of their Virtues and Vices, of the fatigues they underwent... The title is an emblematic title, because that states flourish when their Princes are endowed wit Virtue and Wisdom, which is represented by the Spring, and that on the contrary they fall like the leaves and are utterly destroyed when their Princes are dispirated, or are wicked, which is represented by the Autumn."(James Legge).
The section also comprises Bayer. Elementa Calmucia. (1) pp. and 1 engraved plate (numerous characters) and Bayer. De Venedis, et Eridano Fluvvio. Pp. 346-361.

Order-nr.: 50862