PSALMANAZAR, George (1679?-1763). Memoirs of ****, Commonly Known by the Name of George Psalmanazar; a Reputed Native of Formosa. London: Printed for R. Davis, et al, 1765.
8vo. Engraved portrait frontispiece. (Marginal spotting, blanks laid down.) Modern calf. Provenance: Sir James Hall (1761-1832), Scottish geologist and President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (ownership inscription dated 1795); Percival and Elisabeth Merritt (bookplate).
SECOND EDITION. Born around 1679 in southern France, Psalmanazar created an elaborate hoax, inventing a fictitious Formosan language, culture, and customs. Psalmanazar published "An Historical and Geographical Description of Formosa" in 1704, which became a sensation and established him as a minor celebrity. Although his fraud was eventually exposed, he later became a respected theological essayist and friend of notable literary figures like Samuel Johnson. Psalmanazar's true identity remained a mystery even after his death in 1763, as he never revealed his birth name.
