[RUSSELL, John]. The Establishment of the Turks in Europe. An Historical Discourse. London, John Murray, 1828.
8vo. 20th-century half-calf over marbled boards; pp. vi, 128; internally almost spotless, clean and crisp, printed on thick, cream paper; provenance: engraved 19th-century armorial bookplate of Holland House; a very good copy of a rare work.
First edition. This is a concise history of the Ottoman Empire in Europe after the fall of Constantinople, its administration, legal and economic system, as well as an analysis of the cultural impact of uniting a part of Europe with Asia Minor and the Near East under one ruler. Russell describes society, customs, policing, religious tolerance, the legal system and the organisation of the army. The anonymous author was the first Earl Russell (1792–1878), Whig politician, sponsor of the Reform Bill, prime minister from 1846 to 1852 and writer of historical monographs.
Provenance: At the time this book was published and the bookplate was affixed (later moved into the new binding) the owner was Henry Richard Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland of Holland, and 3rd Baron Holland of Foxley, and eminent Whig politician and colleague of the author.
Atabey 1065, Blackmer 1459.
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