Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

ENNIUS, Quintus. Poetae Vetustissimi Fragmenta Quae Supersunt ab Hieron. Amsterdam: Henrik Wetstein, 1707. 4to (198 x 142mm.) Title in red and black, engraved frontispiece of the poet meeting Virgil, index to rear. (Toning.) Contemporary vellum, manuscript lettering to spine (minor marks, browning). Note: an experimenter with literary forms, this volume contains Ennius' 'Annales', his year-by-year history of the Roman Republic in verse. Considered the 'father' of Latin poetry because he was the first to use Latin as a literary language in competition with the Greek language. Provenance: George Cornewall Lewis (bookplate verso initial blank).

GRATIAN. Decreti huius plenissimum argumentum. Paris: John Petit and Thielmann Kerver, 1516. Signed in 8s (214 x 151mm.) Gothic letter, title in red and black with printer's device, double-column text surrounded by commentary, large woodcut verso title of Gratian in his study surrounded by popes and cardinals, woodcut of the 'Tree of Kindred and Affinity', decorative woodcut initials, 2pp. of contemporary bound-in leaves to front and rear with manuscript notes. (Marginal loss to title affecting woodcut to verso, a 3-inch tear to 'Tree of Kindred', occasional marginal damp-staining and corner creasing,) Contemporary calf over wooden boards (rebacked), housed within a 20th century brown cloth-covered solander box. Note: dated to title and to colophon at p.582. Provenance: Robert Rickman (name inscribed to title-page).

SOPHOCLES. Sophoclis Tragoediae Septem, Cum Interpretationibus Vetustis & valde utilibus. Frankfurt: Petrus Brubach, 1544. 4to signed in 8s (226 x 165mm.) Title in red and black, text in Greek with commentary surround, woodcut headlines and initials, printer's colophon to rear with device representing Janus Bifrons. (Toning, occasional browning, partial crease on title-page, notes in an 18th century manuscript hand on title, lacking blanks.) Contemporary German elaborately blind-stamped pigskin with date '1544', mounted paper label to spine (some soiling, extremities rubbed). Provenance: Adam Krolik (name tooled to the upper cover).

PINKERTON, Robert. Russia: or, Miscellaneous Observations on the Past and Present State of that Country and its Inhabitants. London: Seeley & Sons., 1833. First edition, 8vo (243 x 146mm.) 8 hand-coloured lithographic plates. (Browned to margins, occasional spotting, lacking half-title.) Contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, gilt lettering to spine (rebacked with original spine laid down, label residue to front pastedown, rubbing, minor surface loss to spine and upper cover).

BURMA. - Frederick Brickdale DOVETON. Reminiscences of the Burmese War, in 1824-5-6. London and Taunton: W.A. Woodley, 1852. First edition, 8vo (179 x 114mm.) 5 tinted lithographs with tissue-guards. (Toning to margins, occasional spotting and damp-staining to plates, an annotation in ink to p.4.) Original red cloth blind-stamped with pictorial gilt to upper cover, original spine laid-down (rebacked, light rubbing). Note: scarce. Provenance: Royal Dublin Fusiliers (bookplate to front pastedown); H.W. Higginson (name inscribed to initial blank).

RICHARDSON, Samuel. A Collection of the Moral and Instructive Sentiments, Maxims, Cautions, and Reflections, Contained in the Histories of Pamela, Clarissa, and Sir Charles Grandison. London: for S. Richardson, 1755. First edition, 8vo (167 x 96mm.) Title, 'Table to the Sentiments' to rear. (Browning.) Early 19th century blind-stamped cloth (rubbing to extremities). Provenance: T.F. Redding (ink name inscribed to the initial blank).

BIBLE, In English. The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New, Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues and with the Former Translations diligently Compared and Revised. London: John Bill and Christopher Barker, 1671. Engraved General title with architectural borders, red-lined throughout, numerous engraved plates, NT title dated 1669 and with imprint 'In the Savoy' and with engraved Royal coat-of-arms, includes Apocrypha. (Toning, occasional browning, K8 with small marginal tear, Ee3 with marginal loss, lacking blanks.) [Bound with:] 'The Book of Common Prayer, And administration of the Sacraments'. London: John Bill and Christopher Barker, 1671. Engraved plate of Charles II. (Toning.) [Bound with:] 'The Whole Book of Psalms'. London: T.R. for the Company of Stationers, 1669. (Last leaves with corner creases, C5-C6 partially adhering, marginal damp-staining to last leaves.) 8vo (171 x 115mm.) Near contemporary calf, gilt rectangles with floral corner-pieces (endpapers replaced, light rubbing.) Note: scarce. Text ends on Aaa3 b and the Xx8 a headline is 'Paul's Ministry'. [Herbert 705.]

BIBLE, In English. The Holy Bible Containing ye Old and New Testaments Newly Translated out of ye Original Tongues and with the former Translations diligently Compared and revised. London: John Field, printer to the Parliament, 1653. 24mo signed in 12s (118 x 60mm.) OT only, engraved General title showing David and the Evangelists and with a list of books verso, with 'The Book of Psalms'. (Lacking 5 psalms to rear, ending at Dd2 b, toning.) Mid-18th century black morocco, gilt borders with triangle-shaped gilt fleuron corner-pieces, g.e. (rubbing to extremities). Note: the engraved title is signed 'L. Lucas fecit'. Provenance: Mary Rutherfurd (name inscribed to initial blank). [Herbert, 639.]

SPENCE, Joseph. A Parallel; in the Manner of Plutarch: Between a most celebrated Man of Florence and One, scarce ever heard of, in England. London: at Strawberry-Hill by William Robinson, 1758. Limited edition, one of 700 copies. Engraved portrait vignette of Antonio Magliabechi to title-page, 1p. advertisement verso last leaf. (Browning, some offsetting, spotting to endpapers.) [Bound with:] John ARMSTRONG. 'The Art of Preserving Health: a Poem'. London: A. Millar, 1754. Fourth edition. Half-title, engraved vignette to title-page. (Toning, occasional spotting.) 8vo signed in 4s (173 x 108mm.) Near contemporary half calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (rubbing to extremities). Provenance: Thomas Borrett (armorial bookplate to the front pastedown); J. Ballad (ink name inscribed on front-free endpaper); Charles H.L Woods (ink name inscribed on front-free endpaper).

STEELE, Richard. [The Husbandman's Calling; shewing the excellencies, temptations, graces, duties &c. of the Christian husbandman. Being the substance of XII sermons preached to a country congregation. London: by M.S. and to be sold by E. Calvert at the sign of the Black spread Eagle in Barbican, circa 1670.] 8vo (162 x 100mm.) (Lacking title and several leaves of the 'Contents', lacking three leaves to rear, last text leaf being S8, text-block nearly cracked at p.17 and p.81, large tearing to pp.30-31, corner losses to p.97 and p.101, minor soiling.) Contemporary calf (rubbed, minor loss to spine). Note: rare. Richard Steele was an English nonconformist preacher and was arrested several times. The first edition was published in 1668 and subsequent editions came out in 1670, 1672 and 1681. An American edition was published in 1713 and has been seen at auction, but this English edition has not. Provenance: Thomas Bentley (name inscribed on margins of dedication leaf); Jacobus Watson (name inscribed in the margin of p.246).

AESOP. Select Fables of Esop and other Fabulists… by R. Dodsley. London: F.C. & J. Rivington et al., 1812. New edition, Corrected and Revised, 12mo (169 x 99mm.) Engraved frontispiece and vignette to title-page, numerous engraved vignettes, index to rear, 12pp. publishers catalogue to rear for 'Established School Books', dated January 1821. (Browning, occasional spotting, heavy to first few leaves, some damp-staining to title-page.) Near contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards (surface loss to marbled paper on both covers, endpapers replaced). Provenance: Genevieve St. Laurent (name inscribed verso the front-free endpaper).

[WETENHALL, Edward.] Enter into thy Closet: or, a Method and Order for Private Devotion. With an Appendix Concerning the Frequent and Holy Life of the Lords Supper. London: for John Martyn, 1672. Fourth edition, 12mo (145 x 78mm.) Engraved additional title, in 2 parts with continuous pagination, separate title-page for 'Perswasives with Directions To the frequent and Holy use of the Lord's Supper', 2 blanks to rear. (Chipping to upper margin of additional title, some damp-staining to rear leaves, B6-B8 with soiling, H2-H3 with minor insect damage, browning, lacking initial blank?) Contemporary calf (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Elizabeth Charles (gift inscribed to on the additional title).

BAILEY, Nathan. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary: Comprehending the Derivations of the Generality of Words in the English Tongue, either Ancient or Modern… London: E. Bell, J. Darby et al., 1724. Second edition, with large Additions, 8vo (192 x 114mm.) (Occasional spotting, minor soiling, blanks replaced.) Contemporary calf (rebacked, endpapers replaced, extremities rubbed). Note: first published in 1721, it became the most popular dictionary of the 18th century. Provenance: E. Porter (name inscribed on initial blank).

MONTAIGNE, Michel. Essais… donnez sur les editions les plus anciennes & les plus correctes. La Haye: [Geneva] P. Gosse & J. Neaulme, 1727. 5 vols., nouvelle edition, 8vo (168 x 97mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, titles in red and black. (Browning, red seals to front pastedowns, some pencil annotation and underlining to text and to a rear pastedown and a rear endpaper, red marks on 'Table des Chapitres', marginal damp-staining from *1-A1 of vol. 1.) Contemporary calf, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (some loss to spine ends, rubbing to spines). Provenance: R.F.W. Brandt (small stamp to titles) (5).

RABELAIS, Francis. The Works…Now carefully revised, and compared throughout with the late new Edition of M. Le du Chat, by Mr Ozell. London: J. Brindley and C. Corbett, 1737. 5 vols., first English Collected edition, 12mo (164 x 90mm.) 15 engraved plates, including 10 folding and 1 map, titles in red and black. (Browning throughout, occasional spotting, lacking blanks to vol. 1, corner cut to initial blank of vol. 2.) Near contemporary calf, later red and green morocco lettering pieces to the spines (spines rubbed with loss to gilt, some spine ends chipped). Provenance: Charles Western, Whig politician (name ink inscribed verso frontispiece of vol. 1.); Thomas Western, Liberal M.P. (bookplates to front pastedowns); R.F.W. Brandt (small stamps on front-free endpapers) (5).

[MAUREPAS, Jean Frederic Phelypeaux de.] Les Etrennes de La Saint-Jean. Troyes: Oudot, 1751. Third edition, 8vo (152 x 84mm.) Androgynous woodcut portrait in blue, title in blue and black. (Toning, occasional browning, notes verso the front-free endpaper in manuscript French.) Near contemporary calf, gilt lettering and repeating floral motif to spine (some loss to tail of spine panel, endpapers replaced). Note: a compendium of jokes and anecdotes put together by the 'Société du Bout-du-Banc', a salon of aristocrats and writers who met for dinner at the home of actress, Jeanne-Francois Quinault, and that included Voltaire, Duclos, Diderot and Rousseau. - And a further five volumes (including Voltaire's 'La Pucelle D'Orléans, Poeme', 2 vols., 1780, 12mo, and [Gaston Jean-Baptiste's] 'Roger Bontems, en Belle Humeur', 1734, 8vo) (6).

[DUFRESNY, Charles Riviere du.] Amusemens Serieux et Comiques. Amsterdam: Estienne Roger, 1709. Cinquiéme Edition Augmentée, 12mo (126 x 75mm.) Engraved frontispiece, title in red and black. (Browning.) Late 18th century calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (minor marks). Provenance: Thomas Brand (bookplate to the front pastedown).

[DU LAURENS, Henri Joseph.] L'Arretin. Rome [Amsterdam:] Aux dépens de la Congrégation de l'Index, 1763. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (153 x 94mm.) 1p. errata to rear of vol. 2. (Browning, occasional spotting, marginal insect damage from *6 - A5 of vol. 1., long hand-written description of author's life in early 19th century manuscript hand on initial blank.) 20th century brown half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards (endpapers replaced). Note: an erotic and anti-clerical work for which du Laurens was hounded out of France. He fled to Holland, then Germany and died in a convent in Mainz, aged 74 (2).

GROSE, Francis. The Antiquities of England and Wales. London: Hooper and Wigstead, [1784-1797.] 10 vols. in 5, 'new edition', 4to (256 x 198mm.) 640 engraved plates of antiquities, views and plans of England and Wales, including engraved vignette title pages, and a further 121 engraved plates relating to 'The Antiquities of Scotland', separate title dated 1797. (Toning, occasional offsetting.) Near contemporary straight-grain morocco, gilt borders, g.e. (minor scuffing, odd marks, light rubbing to extremities, endpapers replaced) (5).