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Thomas Hoby's Life and Travels 1547-1564, the first text of The Grand Tour.
This is a rare autograph journal preserved in the British Library, recording the experiences of the 16th-century traveller, scholar, and diplomat Sir Thomas Hoby. Beginning his travels at 17, Hoby documents his studies in Paris and Padua, his journeys across Italy as far as Sicily, and his engagement with European culture, language, and diplomacy.
His account combines detailed itineraries, observations of people and places, and insights into major political and religious events of the time. It also reflects his intellectual interests, including classical sources and contemporary Italian literature, as well as his early work translating Castiglione's Book of the Courtier.
Rich in historical and social detail, the journal offers a valuable record of mid-16th-century Europe and is considered a precursor to later Grand Tour narratives.
This is a rare autograph journal preserved in the British Library, recording the experiences of the 16th-century traveller, scholar, and diplomat Sir Thomas Hoby. Beginning his travels at 17, Hoby documents his studies in Paris and Padua, his journeys across Italy as far as Sicily, and his engagement with European culture, language, and diplomacy.
His account combines detailed itineraries, observations of people and places, and insights into major political and religious events of the time. It also reflects his intellectual interests, including classical sources and contemporary Italian literature, as well as his early work translating Castiglione's Book of the Courtier.
Rich in historical and social detail, the journal offers a valuable record of mid-16th-century Europe and is considered a precursor to later Grand Tour narratives.
Price: $195.00
Pages: 251
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: Hakluyt Society
Series: Hakluyt Society Third Series
Publication Date:
22 December 2026
Trim Size: 9.61 X 6.77 in
ISBN: 9781916931312
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
HISTORY / Europe / Renaissance, History, HISTORY / Europe / Italy, True stories: general, Memoirs
List of Maps and Illustrations x
Preface and Acknowledgements xi
INTRODUCTION
The Hobys of Bisham Abbey xiii
A Booke of the Travaile and Lief of Me, Thomas Hoby xix
The Manuscript of The Travaile and Lief of Me, Thomas Hoby xxx
A Note on Editorial Principles xxxi
A BOOKE OF THE TRAVAILE AND LIEF OF ME THOMAS HOBY, WITH DIUERSE THINGES WOORTH THE NOTINGE 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY 197
INDEX 203
Preface and Acknowledgements xi
INTRODUCTION
The Hobys of Bisham Abbey xiii
A Booke of the Travaile and Lief of Me, Thomas Hoby xix
The Manuscript of The Travaile and Lief of Me, Thomas Hoby xxx
A Note on Editorial Principles xxxi
A BOOKE OF THE TRAVAILE AND LIEF OF ME THOMAS HOBY, WITH DIUERSE THINGES WOORTH THE NOTINGE 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY 197
INDEX 203