First edition, first issue of the first book on the Chinese language to be published in Europe, and possibly the first book in English on China. A re-issue with different title appeared in 1678. Harbsmeier notes that "Webb’s contribution to Sinology is so important because he summarized what could be gleaned on the Chinese language from the published Western literature, and because he was the first to make a systematic book-length attempt to define the place of Chinese among the languages of the world...[and] to constructing out of these reports a case that Chinese was the original language of mankind before the building of the Tower of Babel." Lacking the map, as is usually the case, and also, at end, the errata leaf and final blank (P3-4), also common occurrence. Ink name of deMur on title-page; five line ink inscription on blank preceding title. Wing W1202.