Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

SPENSER, Edmund. The Works… with a Glossary Explaining the Old and Obscure Words. London: for Jacob Tonson, 1715. 6 vols. in 3, 12mo (162 x 94mm.) 17 engraved plates by Lud du Guernier. (Browning to margins, occasional spotting, more so to volume five and six.) Contemporary panelled calf, five raised bands and red morocco lettering pieces to the second and fourth compartments (rebacked). Provenance: David Jones (ink name to title-page) - And six related volumes (including William Hayley's 'The Life and Posthumous Writings of William Cowper', 4 vols., 1806, 8vo) (9).

ADOLPHUS, J.H. Memoirs of Caroline, Queen Consort of Great Britain. London: Jones & Co., 1821. 2 vols., 8vo (207 x 124mm.) Hand-coloured portrait frontispieces, hand-coloured decorative titles, 9 engraved plates (8 hand-coloured). (Some spotting and browning.) Contemporary mottled calf (extremities rubbed, rebacked, old spine laid down, endpapers replaced).

[GENLIS, Stéphanie Félicitié du Crest.] Mémoires Inédits de Madame La Comtesse de Genlis… Sur Le Dix-Huitième Siecle et La Révolution Fran&#1195?oise Depuis 1756 Jusqu'a Nos Jours. Paris: chez Ladvocat, 1825. 8 vols., second edition, 8vo (196 x 120mm.) (Spotting and some damp-staining throughout, some creasing to page corners of vol. 8.) Contemporary mottled calf with two green morocco lettering pieces to each spine (bumped to all extremities, a split to top of spine of vol. 1) (8).

JONES, Owen (illustrator). The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. London: John Murray, 1845. 8vo (241 x 158mm.) Titles in red and black within gilt printed border,s text also in red and black, initials, ornaments, borders and 8 chromolithographed plates designed by Owen Jones. (Toning and occasional spotting to margins.) Contemporary red morocco, by George Rutland, triple double fillet gilt design to covers, five raised bands with elaborate repeating gilt to the spine, titled in the second compartment, g.e. (occasional rubbing to extremities). Note: Jones's ideas on flat patterning and ornamental design drew on his travels to Spain and his study of Islamic design. In mid-Victorian England Owen's style was uniquely modern and this book is one of the greatest examples of his work.

READ, T. (publisher). A Collection of the Most Remarkable Trials of Persons for High Treason, Murder, Rapes, Heresy, Bigamy, Burglary and Other Crimes and Misdemeanors. London: Printed and Sold by T. Read, 1734. 8vo (293 x 183mm.) Engraved head and tail pieces and initials. (Browning, preliminary leaves loose.) Contemporary calf (most boards detached). Note: contains descriptive evocations of the crimes and executions of many people, including Sir Walter Raleigh quoting his last words as he asked to see the axe 'this is a sharp medicine, but it is a Physician that will cure all diseases'. Provenance: St. John Harmsworth, businessman and designer of the Perrier water bottle, (bookplates to the front-free endpaper); Sir William Augustus Fraser (bookplates to the front pastedowns) (4).

HUTCHINS, John. The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1861-1870. 4 vols., third edition, folio (394 x 235mm.) Titles in red and black, 124 engraved plates, maps and genealogies (4 folding), numerous illustrations. (2 plates with ink annotation to the margin, also to p.viii of volume 1, browning, occasional spotting.) Contemporary half-calf over marbled paper boards, red and green morocco lettering pieces to the spines (rubbing to extremities, minor loss to marbled paper). Provenance: Eric Putnam (pencil name to front-free endpaper of volume 1) (4).

RUDDER, Samuel. A New History of Gloucestershire - comprising the Topography, Antiquities, Curiosities, Produce, Trade and Manufactures of that County. Cirencester: printed by Samuel Rudder, 1779. Folio (400 x 239mm.) Folding engraved map, frontispiece by J. Bayley, 11 double-page engraved plates and 4 single-page engraved plates (1 folding). (Map torn and repaired with some loss, title page and dedication, torn and rebacked, some other paper repairs, a few small closed tears, one plate with a closed split.) 20th century morocco with five raised bands to spine and two green morocco lettering pieces to the second and sixth compartments (endpapers replaced).

GLOUCESTERSHIRE. - Robert ATKYNS. The Ancient and Present State of Glocestershire. London: T. Silsbury, for W. Herbert, 1768. Second edition, folio (420 x 254mm.) Title, preface, 65 double-page engraved plates (including a map, a bird's eye plan of Gloucester, views of Gloucester Cathedral and many birds-eye views of seats around the county by Kip), 6pp. index and 8 single page engraved armorial plates to rear. (Minor spotting and creasing to margins, browning, one plate with a closed tear, a few small paper repairs to verso.) 20th century brown morocco with six raised bands and two green morocco lettering pieces to the second and sixth compartments (endpapers and preliminary and rear blanks replaced). Provenance: George Banaster (nameplate to the front pastedown).

MONTFAUCON, [Bernard]. Antiquity Explained, and Represented in Sculptures… translated into English by David Humphries. London: J. Tonson and J. Watts, 1722. Vol. 4 only, folio (449 x 281mm.) Title in red and black, historiated initials and ornaments, 44 engraved plates, 27 double-page. (Affixed to Q1 is a 6pp. bound-in ledger of land 'Estate Accounts', occasional spotting, minor soiling, marginal loss to pastedowns). Early 20th century black morocco.

OCCULT. - Kenelm DIGBY. Two Treatises, in the One of Which, the Nature of Bodies; in the Other the Nature of Mans Soule is Looked Into; in the Way of Discovery, of the Immortality of Reasonable Soules. Paris: Gilles Blaizot, 1644. Folio (409 x 270mm.) Inscribed on the title-page in ink by the author to his son ('For my Lord Digby'), title-page vignette, woodcut initials, head and tailpieces. (Damp-stain to upper edge, text unaffected, occasional spotting, browning, lacking final blank to rear.) 18th century red morocco, two sets of quadrille fillet gilt with fleurons to corners, seven raised bands to spine, gilt lettering to second compartment, repeating elaborate gilt to the rest, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (rubbing to extremities and surface, replaced endpapers). Note: having studied astrology and alchemy in the 1630's with Van Dyke, Digby became one of the most significant natural philosophers of the age by fusing, in this work, Aristotelianism and Atomism and arguing that the soul was immaterial and therefore immortal. Digby used the mechanical principles developed in this work to underpin many of his writings, including those associated with the occult. The handwritten inscription on the title-page from the author is addressed to his eldest son, also called Kenelm Digby, hence the inscription 'For my Lord Digby'. The book is also formally addressed to his son in the dedication (at aii-ej) and there Digby writes that he has written this, his greatest philosophical work, for his son 'that you may be armed against the worst that may arrive unto you, in this unhappy state of affairs, in our distressed country, I send you these considerations of the nature and Immortality of the human souls which, of late, have been my chief entertainment'. Three years after being presented with this book, Digby's son died in the English civil war, aged twenty-three.

MOUNTAINEERING. - John BALL (editor). Peaks, Passes and Glaciers… a Series of Excursions by Members of the Alpine Club. London: Longman, Green, Roberts, 1859-1932. 4 vols, three series [2nd series in 2 vols]. 1st series is fourth edition, others first editions, 8vo (204 x 130mm.) 23 folding maps, numerous plates (8 tipped-in and chromolithographed) and wood-engraved illustrations. (Browning to margins.) Original cloth, mountaineering vignette in gilt to upper cover of series one and three (rubbing to extremities, inner hinge loosening); second series in 20th century half-calf with old spines laid down, g.e. Note: third series was published by Methuen. Provenance: J.P. Mead (name inscribed on front pastedown of third series). Mead was a mountaineer who also designed the tent (known for its innovative outside flap that allowed snow to weigh it down) that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay used on the first climbing of Mount Everest (4).

[SHERER, Col. Joseph Moyle.] Scenes and Impressions in Egypt and in Italy. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, 1825. Second edition, 8vo (209 x 128mm.) (Minor spotting to title-page.) 20th century half-calf over marbled-paper boards, five raised bands to the spine with six compartments, a black morocco lettering piece to the second compartment (endpapers replaced). Provenance: John Pakington (bookplate to the front pastedown). - And two more volumes relating to Italy (including Samuel Sharp's 'Letters From Italy', 1767, 8vo) (3).

SWITZERLAND. Sketches of the Natural, Civil, and Political State of Swisserland in a Series of Letters to William Melmoth. London: printed for J. Dodsley, 1779. 8vo (216 x 126mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries.) 20th century brown half-calf over marbled paper boards, six compartments to spine with raised bands, red morocco lettering piece to the second compartment (endpapers replaced). Provenance: J. Bridges (signature to title-page).

[FISCHER, Johann Friedrich]. Les Nuits D'Épreuve des Villageoises Allemandes Avant le Mariage. Brussells: Gay et Doucé, 1877. Limited edition, this number 423 of 500 copies. Second edition, 8vo (189 x 114mm.) Double engraved frontispiece, one sepia, one black and white. (Mild toning.) Contemporary brown half-morocco over marbled paper boards, gilt title to spine (rubbing to extremities). Note: first published in 1780, this is a scarce book concerning pre-marital sex and sexual behaviour in German villages in the 18th century.

[ADOLPHUS, John]. Voyages and Travels of Her Majesty Caroline Queen of Great Britain: including Visits to Various Parts of Germany, France, Italy, Greece and Palestine. London: Jones & Co., 1822. 8vo (213 x 114mm.) Engraved folding frontispiece map of Italy, 8 engraved plates. (Occasional spotting.) Contemporary diced calf, six compartments to spine with raised bands, original red morocco lettering piece to second, gilt ruling to the rest (rebacked). Note: plates include one of Mount Etna, and another of Mount Vesuvius erupting. Provenance: Charles Benson (bookplate to front patedown). - And six more leather-bound volumes (including C.C. Colton's 'Lacon: or Many Things in Few Words', 2 vols., 1822, 8vo) (7).

FINDEN, William and Edward. Views of the Ports and Harbours, Watering Places, Fishing Villages, and Other Picturesque Objects on the English Coast. London: Charles Tilt, 1838. 4to (266 x 205mm.) Additional decorative engraved title, 48 steel-engraved plates only (of 50) with tissue-guards. (Moderate spotting to preliminaries and occasionally to plate margins.) Contemporary half-morocco, five raised bands to spine with titled in gilt to the second compartment and elaborate repeating decoration in gilt to the other compartments, g.e. (rubbing to extremities).

BOWEN, Emmanuel (engraver). - John OWEN. Britannia Depicta, or, Ogilby Improv'd; Being a Correct Copy of Mr Ogilby's Actual Survey of all Ye Direct and Principal Crossroads in England and Wales. London: Thomas Bowles, 1720. 2 vols., 8vo (196 x 129mm.) 4pp. of 'Table of all the Roads', 273pp. of engraved plates with accompanying text of the roads in England and Wales. (Damp-staining to front and rear blanks of both volumes, moderate browning.) Contemporary panelled calf with double fillet gilt to upper and lower covers, five raised bands to spines with gilt lettering to the second compartment, elaborate gilt to the rest (front board of volume 1 loosening, rubbed to all extremities). Provenance: Captain Hocknell (ink name to the title-page); Robert Milnes-Crewe (bookplates to the front pastedowns); the West Horsley Place Collection (2).

HILL, Rowland. Journal Through the North of England and Parts of Scotland. London: printed by T. Gillet, Crown Court, Fleet street, 1799. (Some loss to the title, paper repair to verso). [Bound with:] 'A Series of Letters…' by Rowland Hill, 1799. [Bound with:] 'An Account of the Proceedings of the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home', 1799. [Bound with:] 'A Plain Account of the Conversion, and of the Doctrines Contained in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans', [n.d.] [Bound with:] John Robertson's 'Animadversions on Some Passages of a Pamphlet Entitled Lay Preaching Indefensible on Scripture Principles', 1800. 5 works in 1 vol., 8vo (194 x 117mm.) (Browning, occasional spotting.) Contemporary half-morocco over marbled paper boards (rubbing to extremities and surface).

TURKEY. - John OLDMIXON. Gleanings From Piccadilly to Pera. London: Longman, Brown, Greene, and Longmans, 1854. First edition, 8vo (196 x 121mm.) 3 chromolithographed plates only (of 4), errata slip, 24pp. of publisher's advertisements at rear. (Browning, all 3 plates loose, name inscribed verso of first plate.) Original brown cloth blocked in blind (rubbing to all extremities). - And three more travel volumes (including Bernard Ireland's 'A Picturesque Tour Through Holland, Brabant, and Part of France', [n.d. but circa 1795], 8vo) (4).