Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

[HIRAOKA, Kimitake.] ‘Yukio Mishima’. Confessions of a Mask. London: Peter Owen, 1960. First U.K. edition, 8vo (183 x 118mm.) (Toning, slight spotting to fore-edge.) Original grey cloth, dust-jacket (toned). – And a further two first U.K. editions by Yukio Mishima (‘The Temple of the Golden Pavilion’, 1959, 8vo, and ‘Thirst for Love’, 1970, 8vo). Note: Mishima was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature many times and was considered likely to be the first Japanese author to win it. Instead, his friend and mentor Yasunari Kawabata won it in 1968 (3).

FLEMING, Ian. Goldfinger. London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. First edition, 8vo (189 x 122mm.) (Mild toning, occasional spotting.) Original black cloth with blind-stamped skull and gilt coins for eyes (slight spine lean, spine ends bumped), dust-jacket designed by Richard Chopping (extremities chipped and creased, slight dust-soiling, tape repair verso).

FLEMING, Ian. You Only Live Twice. London: Jonathan Cape, 1964. First edition, first issue, 8vo (188 x 122mm.) (Mild toning, faint spotting to preliminaries.) Original black cloth with Japanese lettering in gilt to upper cover, silver lettering to spine (slight spine lean, lightly bumped extremities), dust-jacket (rubbed, damp-staining verso). – And a further three volumes by Ian Fleming (‘The Man With the Golden Gun’, first edition, 1965, 8vo, and ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, first edition, 1962, 8vo, and ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, second impression, 1963, 8vo) (4).

CORNWELL, Bernard. [The Warlord Chronicles.] London: Michael Joseph, 1995-1997. First edition, first impressions, with two volumes signed and inscribed by Bernard Cornwell, 8vo (234 x 148mm.) (Toning.) Original cloth (spine ends bumped), dust-jackets (extremities rubbed, and chipping to spine panel of 'The Winter King'). And a further six first edition, first impression novels by Bernard Cornwell, including three more signed volumes ('Redcoat', 1987, 'Sharpe's Waterloo', 1900, and 'Harlequin', 2000). Note: 'The Winter King' and 'Enemy of God' have been signed 'For Anne and Bill, with much love, Bernard Cornwell'. Anne [Campbell] and Bill Moir were great friends of Bernard Cornwell when they all worked together at the BBC on the 'Nationwide' programme. Before leaving for America, Bill Moir was Cornwell's closest friend in England and he dedicated his novel 'Stonehenge' to Bill after his friend's death in 1998. Provenance: Anne [Campbell] and Bill Moir (ink inscribed to by the author) (9).

ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., 1999. First edition, second impression, 8vo (197 x 124mm.) Original pictorial boards, dust-jacket (some fading to spine, small closed tear to upper panel, slight chafing to extremities). – And a further three volumes by J.K. Rowling (4).

ELIOT, T.S. Four Quartets. London: Faber and Faber, 1944. First edition in book form, first impression, 8vo (222 x 135mm.) (Browning and spotting to endpapers.) Original brown cloth, dust-jacket (price-clipped, toned to margins).

WAUGH, Evelyn. Put Out More Flags. London: Chapman & Hall Ltd., 1942. First edition, 8vo (183 x 114mm.) (Toning, some spotting to first leaves.) Original cloth, blue lettering to spine (chipping to spine ends, thin mark to spine panel, crease to upper panel). – And a further two first editions (Evelyn Waugh’s ‘Helena’, 1950, 8vo, and Graham Greene’s ‘Our Man in Havana’, 1958, 8vo) (3).

BIBLE, In Greek. Tes Kaines Diathekes. [New Testament.] Cambridge: John Field, [circa 1684.] 12mo (135 x 69mm.) Title with woodcut device and border, double-column text in Greek. [Bound with:] Psalms of David. Cambridge: John Field, [circa 1684.] Title with woodcut printer’s device, text in Greek. [Bound with:] The Book of Common Prayer. Cambridge: John Field, [circa 1684.] Title and text in Greek, date of 1665 to title in manuscript. (Browning to title.) 18th century full calf (lacking spine, front board detached, worn). Note: most likely the John Hayes reprint circa 1684. – And a further five volumes (including ‘Die Europaische Fama’, 1711-1712, 8vo, and Johann Hubnern’s ‘Biblische Historien aus dem alten und neuen Testamente’, 1787, 8vo) (6).

BINDING. – Richard SIMS. A Manual for the Genealogist, Topographer, Antiquary, and Legal Professor. London: John Russell Smith, 1856. First edition, 8vo (214 x 128mm.) Appendix, 14pp. ‘Index’. (Toning, occasional browning, provenance in manuscript verso front-free endpaper.) Near contemporary full calf by W. Nutt, gilt borders, floral gilt to the spine compartments, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, g.e. (lightly rubbed extremities). Provenance: Archibald Acheson, Earl of Gosford (ink note verso front-free endpaper); Henry A. Johnston (ink inscribed initial blank); Henry Lewis Edwards (name-plate to front pastedown).

RELIGION. – George ABBOTT. The Whole Booke of Job Paraphrased, or Made easier for any to understand. London: by Edward Griffin for Henry Overton, 1640. 4to (173 x 127mm.) Title, woodcut initials and headpieces. (Title heavily browned, pp.13-14 mis-numbered, pp.41-57 with small corner damp-stain, last leaves Mm2-Mm4 with marginal paper repairs, blanks replaced.) 18th century calf bound by Wood, York, red morocco lettering piece to spine (endpapers replaced, upper joint splitting, extremities rubbed). Note: scarce. George Abbott was a lay theologian and scholar. Also known for his defence of Caldecote Hall, Warwickshire, in the Civil War against a Royalist cavalry led by Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Provenance: John Cain (ink name to front pastedown).

HANWAY, Jonas. A Sentimental History of Chimney Sweepers, in London & Westminster, Shewing the Necessity of Putting them under Regulations to Prevent the Grossest Inhumanity to the Climbing Boys. [London:] Dodsley & Sewell, 1785. First edition. Engraved title, 2 engraved plates, including one of a German chimney-sweep. (Spotting to blanks and title, small marginal tear to plate, occasional browning.) [Bound with:] J.P. ANDREWS. An Appeal to the Humane, on Behalf of the Most Deplorable Class of Society, The Climbing Boys, Employed by the Chimney-Sweepers. London: John Stockdale, 1788. First edition. Engraved plate. (Offsetting to title.) 8vo (148 x 95mm.) Near contemporary half calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (extremities rubbed, pencil mark to front endpaper and pastedown). Note: scarce. The frontispiece of ‘A Sentimental History’ has been bound at the rear.

ARCHERY. – Roger ASCHAM. Toxophilus, the Schole, or Partitions, of Shooting. Contayned in II Bookes… to which is added a Dedication and Preface by the Reverend John Walters. Wrexham: R. Marsh, 1788. 8vo (159 X 95mm.) Title, Preface, 2pp. ‘Table’ to rear, monogram bookplate to front pastedown. (Light browning, occasional spotting, illegible name to front pastedown.) Contemporary full calf, black morocco lettering piece (extremities rubbed, slight loss to lower cover and lettering piece). Note: the first book on archery.

ITALY. – Gaetano d’ ANCORA. Guide du Voyageur pour les Antiquitiés, et Curiosités Naturelles de Pouzol et des Environs. Naples: Zambraia, 1792. 8vo (203 x 128mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved vignette to title, 51 engraved plates, 4 folding, 8pp. ‘Table’ of plates to rear. (Toning, occasional light spotting.) Contemporary half mottled calf over marbled paper-covered boards (joints starting, extremities rubbed). Note: Gaetano d’ Ancora was an Italian archaeologist, philologist and Hellenist. Provenance: Randall Hatfield (bookplate to front pastedown).

BADESLADE, Thomas and William Henry TOMS. Chorographia Britanniae. Or a Set of Maps of all the Counties in England and Wales. London: T. Badeslade and W.H. Toms, 1742. First edition, 8vo (159 x 89mm.) Engraved double-page calligraphic title, engraved dedication, 51 double-paged engraved leaves, including 5 tables and 46 county maps. (Occasional scattered browning and light spotting, small crease splits to a few leaves, tape verso ‘Bedfordshire’ but map intact, manuscript place names verso ‘Sussex’ and on the two rear blanks.) Near contemporary full marbled calf, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced, spine rubbed). Note: all the maps with the 29th Sept. 1741 imprint. In manuscript hand the price ‘6s’ to title.

BINDINGS. – William THACKERAY. The Virginians. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1858. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (219 x 132mm.) Title, 2 additional engraved titles, engraved plates, illustrations in the text. (Browning, marginal damp-staining and spotting to plates.) Near contemporary red half morocco over red buckram, spines gilt, t.e.g. (toning to lower covers). – And a further two first editions by Thackeray (‘The History of Pendennis’, 2 vols., 1849, 8vo, and ‘The Newcomes’, 2 vols., 1855, 8vo) (6).

CHURCHILL, Winston S. Marlborough, His Life and Times. London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1933-1938. 4 vols., first editions, 8vo (231 x 147mm.) Numerous plates, maps and Illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original purple cloth, t.e.g. (spines of vols. 1, 2 and 3 sunned). Note: Provenance: Lucy Stuart Sutherland, Historian (ink name inscribed to front-free endpapers) (4).

MAPS. – Louis Brion de la TOUR. Atlas Général, Civil et Ecclésiastique, methodique et élémentaire pour l’etude de la géographie et de l’histoire. Paris: A.P.D.R., 1767. Folio (368 x 249mm.) Double-paged engraved title by Le Charpentier, double-paged engraved ‘Avertissement de l’ Auteur’, 7 double-paged engraved diagrams and 39 double-paged engraved maps with hand-colouring. (Toning, minor soiling to margin of ‘Italy’, staining to one diagram, occasional marginal spotting or finger-mark, small crease tears to two diagram plates, two diagram plates paper backed.) Near contemporary calf-backed marbled paper-covered boards (extremities heavily rubbed).

INCUNABULA. – Angelus de CLAVASIO. Summa angelica de casibus conscientiae. [Venice: Georgius Arrivabenus, 22 October 1487.] 4to (215 x 163mm.) Black letter, double column, 53 lines, a1 with 8-line initial ‘A’ in purple, blue, green and gold with marginal extensions to inner and upper border and column divide in gold and green, capital letters in alternate red and blue, some occasionally extensive contemporary ink annotation in Latin to margins of numerous leaves. (Lacking last 17 leaves, lacking blanks, damp-staining f2-i4 and to some margins, marginal browning and spotting to last leaves, some ink annotations shaved to upper border, old paper repair to a1.) Contemporary pigskin (lacking most of spine, worn). Note: ends at leaf T1, having 353 of 370 leaves.

CATHOLIC SECRET PRESS. – [Thomas WRIGHT.] The Disposition or Garnishmente of the Soule to receive worthily the blessed sacrament devyded into three discourses, 1 Preparation. 2 Presentation before Christ. 3 Enterteinment. Antwerp [but England:] Joachim Trognaesius [but secretly printed], 1596. 8vo (148 x 91mm.) Title and text with ruled borders, leaf D3 blank but for ruled borders and signature. (Lower margin loss to title and to lower margins of A2-A5, also to C2, D2-M1 with damp-staining, M8 loosened, lacking last blank Y4, marginal losses to last three leaves and ink drawing and annotation to last leaves.) Contemporary vellum (some loss to spine, stained, dust-soiled). Provenance: William Squire (ink inscribed verso last leaf); Elizabeth Russell (ink name inscribed verso last leaf). Note: rare. The additional signature y (‘A Conclusion, Conteining an Admonition..’) is not in this copy. Thomas Wright was a Jesuit priest and recusant who had studied at the English College in Rome. He also wrote a work ‘The Passions of the Minde’, published in 1601, which is considered an early work on emotions and moral development. [STC 26038.8].