
          126

Busbecq, Ogier Ghislain de ("Gislenius, Augerius, seigneur
de Busbecq") (1522-1592)

Introduced numerous plants from the Levant
into western Europe by way of Vienna, during
his Turkish mission 1554-1562. Although his
letters contain few notices of plants, his
mention of the tulip in January 1555 is of
interest as the first note by a European on
this plant, possibly preceding by only a very
short time his bringing its bulbs into Europe.
For brief accounts of his life and services to
horticulture, see Èd. Morren, "A la mémoirs de
Ogier-Ghislain de Busbecq", in Belg. Hort.
25 : v-xviii, port. (1875); also biographical
notices in the English versions of Busbecq's
letters, 1881 and 1927. There are many editions
of the letters, the earliest being regarded as
inferior to that of Elzevier, Leyden, 1633, and
other eds. that are based upon it. The following 
is a partial list of issues. (MFW)

Itinera constantinopolitanum et amasianum. Antverpiae,
ex officina C. Plantini, 1581. 167 p. (Lib. Cong.)

-----  Antverpiae, ex officina C. Plantini, 1582. 127 p. (Bib. Nat. Paris)

-----  Augerii Gislenii Busbequii ... Epistolae IV.
Parisiis, apud AE. Beys, 1589. 186 ff. (Bib. Nat.
Paris)

-----  Parisiis, ex officina Plantiniana, apud AE.
Beys, 1595. 186 ff. (Bib. Nat. Paris)

-----  Monachii, apud A. Sadeler, 1620. 540 p.
(Bib. Nat. Paris)

----- Hanoviae, sumptibus C. Schleichii, 1629.
349 p. (Bib. Nat. Paris)
        