PRÉVOST D'EXILES (Antoine-François, abbé). Histoire générale des voyages, ou Nouvelle collection de toutes les relations de voyages par mer et par terre. Paris, Didot, then Arkstée Merkus, Rozet, Panckoucke et Boubers, 1746-1770. 19 volumes in-4, first edition, illustrated with a portrait of the author engraved by G. F. Schmidt and 583 maps and engravings, often folding, featuring fauna, flora, alphabets, coins, scenes of life and monuments from different parts of the world. Volumes 1 to 16 form the first set of the Histoire générale des voyages, published by Didot from 1746 to 1761, then completed by the Suite de l'Histoire générale des voyages, tome XVII, to serve as a supplement to the Paris edition, published by Arkstée Merkus in Amsterdam in 1761, the Continuation de l'Histoire générale des voyages, tome XVIII, published by Rozet in Paris in 1768, and the continuation of this volume, tome XIX, published by Panckoucke in Paris in 1770. A twentieth volume was published by Boubers in Brussels in 1791. A fine copy, complete with Maurepas' large folding map of the world in the sixth volume and La Condamine's folding table in the thirteenth volume, as well as all plates. It includes a portrait, 17 maps and 12 plates in volume I, 28 maps and 24 plates in volume II, 10 maps, 12 plates in volume III, 16 maps, 24 plates and the 12 supplement plates from volume 3 to volume IV, 23 maps, 35 plates and 5 supplement plates in volume V, 9 maps and 35 plates in volume VI, 8 maps and 17 plates in volume VII, 15 maps and 11 plates in volume VIII, 8 maps and 18 plates in volume IX, 10 maps and 17 plates in volume X, 11 maps and 14 plates in volume XI, 12 maps and 16 plates in volume XII, 12 maps and 12 plates and La Condamine's table in volume XIII, 19 maps and 9 plates in volume XIV, 17 maps and 11 plates in volume XV, tables in volume XVI, 9 maps and 22 plates in volume XVII, 13 maps and 24 plates in volume XVIII and 3 maps and 13 plates in volume XIX. Bound in later half-purple basane, smooth ornate spine, red morocco title page, blue morocco endpaper. The standard 18th-century encyclopedia of the world and travel, complete with all plates. Provenance: Josy Mazodier Library. (some foxing and foxed leaves, slight traces of wetness, wormholes in bindings, spine unstained, some snags in bindings, some engravings shorter in margins, some notices to binder missing). Expert : Mr. Nicolas Asvisio