Memoirs of a Malayan Family,

the thomas phillipps copy

Sir Thomas Phillipps' copy, with his subscriber leaf, uncut in the original cloth. The first translation of the biography 'La-uddin Nakhoda Muda, considered one of the most important contributions to Malaysian literature in the first half of the nineteenth century.

William Marsden (1754-1836), Orientalist and future First Secretary to the Admiralty, had been stationed in Sumatra before returning to England bringing his library with him, which included the original manuscript of this work. On his return home he focused on his Malaysian dictionary and translation of Marco Polo before returning to this work. He would donate his library and collections to the nation in 1834, making this his final literary contribution aside from his autobiography.

First edition; tall 8vo (26.5 x 17 cm); additional subscriber's leaf to Sir Thomas Phillipps, with his shelf mark to pastedown, bookseller's stamp to verso of half-title; publisher's original green cloth, original printed label to spine, partially unopened, a little fading to spine, else a remarkably preserved copy; iv, 88 pp.