In the Chechen region of Russia, there have been terrorist attacks, including a terrible school bombing a few years back, as local Muslims have sought independence from Russia. This is nothing new. Over two centuries ago, a Moslem leader known as Sheikh Mansur managed to gather various tribal Moslem groups in the region to attack the forces of Catherine the Great. Mansur was obviously a charismatic leader, disrupting Russian control in the area for several years. He was captured in 1791, sentenced to life in prison in St. Petersburg, where he died in 1794. Item 20 is Sheikh Mansur, a 1787 first and only edition, taken from the Italian original, almost nonexistent today. Why Mansur's story was brought to Italy is not clear, though there appears to have been interest in him and his prophecies in that country. Almost a century later, some letters were discovered, supposedly from Mansur, claiming he was really Giovanni Boetti, an Italian monk and missionary who disappeared in Asia, only to convert to Islam and become the prophet and leader Mansur. The authenticity of these letters is debated to this day. £1,200 (US $1,666).
Poetry can be written about almost any subject. If you don't believe it, take a look at item 13: Epitre a Mr. Moreau, premier chirurgien de l'hotel-Dieu de Paris, published in 1751. Author Mr. Le Roy, an attorney, wrote this poem to honor the surgeon Jean-Nicolas Moreau for amputating his arm. Le Roy's arm was badly damaged in a hunting accident. £400 (US $555).
Simon Beattie Antiquarian Books and Music may be reached at +44 (0) 1494 784954 or simon@simonbeattie.co.uk. Their website is www.simonbeattie.co.uk.
