"Having thus cleaned and polish'd the Soul, it becomes a pure Tabula Rasa, fit for the best or worst Impressions."
General Preface [from The First Volume of Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy]
Based on a 30-letter Italian original, <u>L'esploratore turco</u> (1684), by Giovannia Paolo Marana (1642-1693), <u>L'espion turc</u> was published in French in 1684; <u>The Turkish Spy</u>, in English in 1687. Multiple entries in the ESTC. Sixth edition in 1694, 19th edition in 1718, 25th in 1753. After the success of the first volume, the work was expanded to 632 letters and published in eight volumes, attributed to various authors in 1696-97. <br>
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Text from <u>The First Volume of Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who lived five and forty years, undiscover'd at Paris: Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan, at Constantinople, of the most Remarkable Transactions of Europe; And discovering several Intrigues and secrets of the Christian Courts (especially of that of France.) From the Year 1637, to the Year 1682. Written Originaly in Arabick, First Translated into Italian, afterwards into French, and now into English</u>. 20th ed. Vol. 1. (London: Printed for J. Rhodes, D. Brown, R. Sare, B. and S. Tooke, G. Strahan, W. Mears, S. Ballard, and F. Clay, 1723). 