Philip Balde

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Philip Balde or Baelde, or Philippus Baldaeus (October 1632, Delft - 1672, Geervliet) was a Dutch missionary in South and South East Asia.

After studying theology in Leiden, he preach from 1655 at Batavia, Dutch East Indies, and at Jaffanapatnam and Point de Galle, on the island of Ceylon. He was chaplain of the states-general on Ceylon and on an excursion along the coast of Malabar. In 1666 he returned to the Dutch Republic and preached in Geervliet until his death at the age of 39 or 40. He left behind him a full and faithful account of the civil, religious, and domestic condition of the countries through which he travelled. In this, he introduced also an interesting account of the Indian mythology, and some specimens of the Tamil language, including the translation of the Lord's Prayer: defective enough it is true, but remarkable as the first treatise, printed in Europe, on any Indian language. The title of the whole work is Description of the East Indian Countries of Malabar, Coromandel, Ceylon, etc. (in Dutch, 1671).