POPE, ALEXANDER
350 x 220 mm. (14 x 8 1/2"). Pope: [2] p.l., 17, [1] pp.; [1] leaf, 18 pp.; 20 pp.; [2] p.l., 18 pp., [1] leaf. Epistle IV lacking a final blank leaf. Swift: 28 pp. Contemporary sprinkled calf, covers double-ruled in gilt, carefully rebacked (and with small areas of the lower board as well as tips up upper corners renewed), raised bands, red morocco label. Woodcut vignette devices on titles, each work with decorative and historiated headpieces and initials, historiated tailpieces. A Large Paper Copy. With the armorial bookplate of Viscount Gage on the front pastedown; the First Epistle with ink strikethroughs and marginalia throughout in a slightly later hand. Pope: Griffith 307, 300, 308, 331; Foxon S-827, 833, 840, 845; Rothschild 1615. Swift: Teerink 741; Foxon S-888; Rothschild 2147; Hayward 153. âFront cover with noticeable loss to the leather at upper and lower corners due to insect activity, edges and lower corners somewhat worn, but the binding solidly restored and retaining a good deal of its antique appeal. Internally with only trivial imperfections. An exceptionally bright copy with vast margins. This is a copy, with very intriguing provenance, of two very desirable works of English Neoclassical verse, the centerpiece being Pope's grand philosophical poem in heroic couplets that, like Milton's "Paradise Lost," sought to accomplish nothing less than the vindication of the ways of God to man. Not really an essay on man at all, but instead on the moral order in the universe, the four epistles making up this celebrated work maintain that apparent evil results from a human failure to see the total plan of the universe and that there is a reason for whatever appears to be imperfect. Dugald Stewart called the work "the noblest specimen of philosophical poetry which our language affords." Epistle I appears here as either the second or third edition: multiple issues were published in close succession in 1733, making establishing order difficult. Our versions of the other three Epistles are clearly first printings. Pope's famous "Essay" is bound here with "On Poetry," Swift's most Pope-like work, a coolly contemptuous denunciation of mediocrity and sham, especially in poetasters and patrons. Like the "Essay on Man," it was politically explosive, with more than 50 lines cut out by the printer as too hot to publish. Even with these excisions, the poem was Swift's favorite among his works. According to Teerink, despite what the imprint says, no earlier Dublin printing of the work exists. This volume was likely assembled shortly after the publication of these five poems, and has a noble provenance of considerable interest. The front pastedown has the engraved armorial bookplate of Viscount Gage, quite possibly Thomas Gage, 1st Viscount Gage (ca. 1695-1754), whose brother (if we've got the right guy) had been satirized by Pope in his "Of the Use of Riches": "The Crown of Poland, venal twice an age, // To just three millions stinted modest Gage" (ll.127-8). The manuscript revisions in the present copy reflect changes made by Pope for the quarto edition of "Essay" issued in May of 1744. Apart from our ostensible owner and any possible resentment he felt, these changes are substantial and interesting to the literary historian. In one place, Pope added eight lines. In other places, he polished and clarified and significantly improved. For example, his "Why has not Man a microscopic sight // For this plain reason, Man is not a Mite: // Say what th'advantage of so fine an Eye // T'inspect a a Mote, not comprehend the Sky" was upgraded to "Why has not Man a microscopic Eye? |// For this plain reason, Man is not a Fly! // Say what the use were finer Opticks given // T'inspect a Mite, not comprehend the Heaven.". Third Edition of Epistle I, and FIRST EDITION of Epistles II-IV (Pope); FIRST EDITION (Swift).
(FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS). (BINDINGS - FAZAKERLEY)
220 x 138 mm. (8 5/8 x 5 1/2"). Three volumes. Edited by Samuel Carter Hall. SPECTACULAR MAROON CRUSHED MOROCCO BY FAZAKERLEY OF LIVERPOOL (stamp-signed on front turn-ins), covers with inlaid green morocco frame enclosing a panel elaborately gilt and inlaid in the Arts & Crafts style, with two topiaries of inlaid citron morocco roses, gilt lettering at head of front covers, spine compartments similarly inlaid with rose buds, gilt titling, turn-ins framed with inlaid green morocco strip and multiple gilt rules, inlaid rosebud and gilt leaves at corners, ivory watered silk doublures and endleaves, marbled flyleaves, all edges gilt and delicately gauffered, EACH FORE EDGE WITH THREE LOVELY VIGNETTE PAINTINGS of bucolic villages, seacoast towns, and storm-blown ships. With 149 engraved vignettes. Each volume with four pages of facsimile signatures of poets following the text. First volume with laid-in handwritten note from Lily Safra, presenting the set "To Susan and John [Gutfreund], a small "contribution" to the bookcases, with all my heartâ"New York January 25, 1984." â1836 volumes with faint browning to edges and isolated small spots of foxing, but A SPLENDID SET, the text clean, fresh, and mostly bright, with generous margins and excellent impressions of the engravings, IN A SPARKLING BINDING. bound by Fazakerley of Liverpool, with their signature fore-edge vignette paintings. The contents are a testament to British literature and artistry, with the poetic pillars of Chaucer, Spenser, Donne, Shakespeare, Dryden, Burns, Wordsworth, Shelley, and Coleridge, as well as other writers comprising the anthology. Along with these are brief biographical sketches, facsimile autographs, and portraits rendered after paintings and designs by notable British artists like Turner, Bonington, Landseer, and Maclise. Known to have apprenticed with John Sutton in Liverpool in 1813, Thomas Fazakerley established his own business in 1835 and worked until 1877, after which time his son John continued the firm. Their workshop did not produce bindings in great numbers, but its craftsmen established a durable reputation for fine quality work. Fazakerley is especially well known for delicate paintings on glittering gold fore edges, visible, not when the volume is fanned open, but rather when it is closed--and that is a feature notably on display here. Like the poetry, the scenes depicted are resoundingly British, from village churches and pastoral scenes to the tall ships with which Britannia ruled the waves. The provenance is distinguished. Lily Safra (b. 1934) and her husband Edmond J. (1932-99) collected all manner of beautiful objects, and their library was rich in fine bindings in superb condition. Mrs. Safra generously presented this set to friends assembling their own library in 1984.
(POMOLOGY). HAYNES, THOMAS
235 x 140 mm. (9 1/4 x 5 1/2"). vii, [1], 101, [3] (ads) pp. Pale blue publisher's boards, paper labels on cover and spine. Front pastedown with bookplate of F. J. Chittenden. âBoards somewhat worn and soiled, joints beginning to split, the paper label on the spine partly gone; internally with scattered areas of minor foxing, but a nevertheless appealing copy in its original binding, with quite clean and fresh leaves. Preserved in its insubstantial and unrestored original binding, this is a distinguished association copy of a highly specialized manual for fruit growing, initially published in 1812. In this, his second gardening book, Thomas Haynes (fl. 1811-14) presents a new method for cultivating strawberries, raspberries, and gooseberries, including detailed instructions from planting through harvesting stages. Our copy of the second edition has obviously been put to use in a gardening setting, and every sign of its practical employment takes us back in a very evocative way to early 19th century berry patches. Our previous owner, Frederick James Chittenden, OBE, FLS, VMH (1873-1950) was an eminent English horticulturalist and first director of the Royal Horticultural Society Wisley Garden. He wrote and contributed to a number of important works on horticulture and edited the "Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society.".
A PARTIAL EARLY MEDIEVAL VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM A NOTED MISSAL IN LATIN
160 x 208 mm. (6 1/4 x 8 1/4"). With 14 extant lines of text in a late Caroline hand. Tipped into a modern blue cloth binding, upper cover with black morocco label with gilt lettering. Rubrics in red, one two-line initial in red. With interlineal neumes. âRecovered from a binding and thus the vellum a little wrinkled and soiled, two creases down the center, several small wormholes, verso with staining from binder's glue, but the text intact and entirely legible. This specimen displays a lovely Caroline hand and the earliest form of Western musical notation, known as adiastematic neumes. Described as "in campo aperto" (literally, "in an open field") because they are the only thing occupying the area above a musical text, these neumes appear more or less in a straight line, thus acting merely as an "aide memoire" for singers who would have already committed the melodies to memory. In addition to the music, the present leaf contains two Gospel readings concerning John the Baptist. The first comes from Luke 3:1-5 (on the recto, beginning "Anno quinto decimo imperii Tyberij Caesaris . . ."), recounting the preaching of John the Baptist; the second is from John 1:19-27 (on the verso, beginning "In ill. Miserunt Iudeai ab Hierosolimis sacerdotes . . . "), describing the testimony of John the Baptist, who identifies himself not as the Christ or a prophet, but as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The style of the script suggests that this specimen originated in Germany, possibly in Cologne, as suggested by the label here; although the label also tells us that this fragment comes from a Breviary, the early date and content make it more likely to have belonged to a Missal. This piece was once part of the distinguished Boehlen Collection (MS 904 ES) formed by the late Ernst Boehlen, focusing on the history of Western script and Medieval art. Though not without the inevitable damage due to its use as binding scrap, it is nevertheless a very early and attractive example of both writing and music, and the text remains entirely legible.
(BINDINGS - HARDY). (FRENCH POETRY, 17TH CENTURY). RACAN, HONORAT DE BUEIL, SEIGNEUR DE
179 x 120 mm. (7 x 4 3/4"). 10 p.l., 496, 35, [1] pp. EXTREMELY FINE 19TH CENTURY RED MOROCCO BY HARDY (stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in), covers with gilt coat of arms and French fillet border, raised bands, compartments ruled in gilt and with elegant gilt floral and foliate tooling, gilt lettering, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt. Front free endpaper with bookplate of poet Auguste P. Garnier (1885-1966). Tchemerzine IX, 332. âTrivial imperfections only: A VERY FINE COPY INSIDE AND OUT. In a very handsome binding by one of the most widely sought-after binders of the turn of the 20th century, this is a beautifully preserved volume of verse by a founding member of the Académie française. A protégé of Malherbe, Honorat de Bueil, Seigneur de Racan (1589-1670) is primarily known for his elegant pastoral and religious poetry, which, as Britannica notes, succeeds at "preserving the elegiac lyricism of an earlier age and foreshadowing the gentle melancholy of Alphonse de Lamartine." According to Tchemerzine, the present work is "the most complete edition of Racan's religious works," and is in large part composed of his verse interpretations of the Psalms. The Hardy atelier produced luxurious volumes, many of them armorial, for a range of 19th century connoisseurs. (Although we have not been able to identify the coat of arms on the covers, the crown with pearls indicates that the owner bore the title of "Comte.") Among other connections in the bibliopegic world, Henri Hardy employed Jean Marius Michel as a gilder near the start of his career; he also worked with Charles Meunier and Émile Mercier before meeting Robert Hoe in Paris and agreeing to come to New York in early 1896 to serve as foreman of the newly established Club Bindery. In 1917, Hardy, along with his compatriots Leon Maillard and Gaston Pilon, formed the French Binders, with the stated intention of "bringing together distinguished members of the craft to afford them opportunity to work under the most advantageous conditions." The present item is an excellent example of Hardy's earlier work, is in outstanding condition inside and out, and makes an excellent impression on the shelf. The bookplate on the flyleaf indicates that it was once owned by the French poet Auguste P. Garnier (1885-1966), who later ran the Garnier publishing house established by his family in 1833.
(ANATOMY, 18TH CENTURY). (BODONI IMPRINT). SANTORINI, GIOVANNI DOMENICO
365 x 245 mm. (14 1/4 x 9 1/2"). 4 p.l., xxxv, [1], 217, [3] pp. Edited by Michael Girardi. Contemporary mottled sheep, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with central floral sprig, volute cornerpieces, red morocco label, marbled endpapers. With engraved portrait and 21 IMPRESSIVE ENGRAVED ANATOMICAL PLATES, each facing a corresponding outline plate, for a total of 42 plates. A Large Paper Copy. Front pastedown with label of "M. Mojon, professeur / Rue Saint-Nicolas-d'Antin no. 67"; title page with ink library stamp of Dr. P. Denucé. Brooks 1417-h; Choulant-Frank, pp. 262-64; Garrison-Morton 399.1; Heirs of Hippocrates 497; Norman 1888; Waller 8476 (lacking portrait); Blake, p. 401. See: DSB XII, pp. 100-01. âNot unexpected minor wear to joints and extremities, spine with a score of tiny wormholes, a little scuffing and scratching to covers, other insignificant external signs of use, but the binding solid and still appealing. Faint foxing at very beginning and very end, but A BEAUTIFUL COPY INTERNALLY, clean, fresh, and bright with vast margins. This is a very attractive copy of a volume of lasting importance both as a medical work and a beautiful and highly unusual private press publication. According to DSB, Giovanni Domenico Santorini (1681-1737), an Italian anatomist known for his dissections, "was generally acknowledged as the outstanding anatomist of his time, carefully dissecting and delineating many difficult and complex gross features of the human body." Published posthumously, the present work illustrates a variety of anatomical features, including parts of the brain, the tongue, muscles of the face, sexual organs, sinuses, pharynx, organs such as the liver, heart, and pancreas, and more. The 17 plates referenced in the title were drawn by Santorini himself, and were intended for an expanded edition of his "Observationes Anatomicae"; however, Santorini died before its publication. Editor and professor of anatomy Michael Girard (1731-97) took up the project almost four decades later, adding four plates to the work (two by himself and two by anatomist Giovanni Battista Covoli), and providing detailed explanatory text. Each of the exquisitely rendered etchings is accompanied by a plate of outlines helping readers to identify more easily the minute structures. Heirs of Hippocrates tells us that "the book is one of the finest anatomies of the 18th century because of its excellent illustrations and comprehensive commentary." In addition to its scientific importance, it is also a beautifully printed work by the Bodoni Press, issued--as the press' only medical work--using bright, substantial paper stock and a special large paper format. The son of a printer, Bodoni (1740-1813) began his career in 1758 at the Roman press of the Vatican's missionary office. Working as a compositor, he distinguished himself with his gift for Middle Eastern languages, and eventually began cutting his own punches. When the Duke of Parma established his royal press in 1768, Bodoni was tapped to head it, and he soon established a reputation for printing excellence, becoming the principal European rival of Didot. He is one of a handful of 18th century printers whose work continues to influence typography and design: the "Bodoni" font has been popular since 1910, and its wide use continues in the digital era.
A MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT BIFOLIUM FROM A BREVIARY IN LATIN
152 x 206 mm. (6 x 8 1/8"). Double column, 35 lines in a gothic hand. Rubrics in red, paragraphs marks in blue, three two-line initials in blue with red penwork extending along the column, one two-line burnished gold initial on blue and red ground with white tracery, sprays of hairline stems extending into the margin and terminating with green dots and gold ivy leaves, and WITH A FIVE-LINE INITIAL in blue with white tracery on a burnished gold ground, filled with colorful acanthus, a gilt and blue bar decorated with more acanthus extending the length of the column, expanding into the upper and lower margins with hairline vines sprouting green dots, acanthus, and bezants. âMargins trimmed a little close (slightly cutting into illumination in upper margin and very ends of penwork decoration), but A FINE SPECIMEN, the vellum clean and bright, and the illumination brilliantly lustrous. This beautifully decorated manuscript bifolium is an excellent example of English illumination of the 15th century, featuring large, flamboyant designs and a colorful palette to delight the eye. The fine gradations of color on the acanthus are especially pleasing, and the thickly applied gold remains shimmering. The overall effect is one of vitality and celebration, as if the page were blooming before our very eyes. The text of the bifolium is continuous, and includes part of the feast of St. Hippolytus and his companions (August 13), the Octave of St. Lawrence, the feast of St. Eusebius of Rome (August 14), and the beginning of the Vigil of the Assumption of the Virgin (August 14), which contains the beautiful initial "T" opening the antiphon "Tota pulchra es amica mea.".
TASSO, BERNARDO
150 x 100 mm. (6 x 4"). 7 p.l., 284 leaves (lacking blank in first signature). Not entirely unattractive 19th century Italian vellum-backed marbled paper boards, smooth spine, black morocco label with gilt lettering. With woodcut printer's device, initial, and a couple head- and tailpieces. EDIT 16 CNCE 40806. Not in Adams. âEdges a little worn, title with repairs to fore edge (well away from the text), faint dampstain beginning with title and extending into first couple of signatures, other trivial imperfections, but a very good, clean copy overall, with no major faults. This volume contains the correspondence, first printed in 1549, of Bernardo Tasso (1493-1569), a poet and courtier who served high-ranking noblemen such as the Prince of Solerno and Duke of Urbino, and whose letters are an invaluable source of information about 16th century Italian politics and diplomacy. The list of correspondents includes important Renaissance figures from all parts of society, among them Popes Clement VII and Paul III, Cardinal Pietro Bembo, the Duke of Mantua, poet Annibale Caro, dramatist Sperone Speroni, and historian Francesco Guicciardini. Hidden among these missives is also a long, tender letter to Tasso's wife, Portia, who met a tragic end when she was allegedly poisoned by her own brothers. Bernardo and Portia were the parents of the celebrated poet Torquato Tasso (1544-95), author of "Jerusalem Delivered" and widely read and admired for three centuries. It is clear from the publication date of our volume that the text here, appearing well after the first printing and 13 years after Bernardo's death, continued to be of interest to the reading public.
KIPLING, RUDYARD
236 x 182 mm. (9 1/4 x 7 1/8"). 4 p.l. (first leaf blank), 249, [3] pp. Pleasing later deep red morocco with gilt-ruled border, raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments, gilt lettering, new endpapers. With many black & white illustrations by Kipling, 22 of which are full-page. Grolier Children's 57; Stewart 260. âCovers and spine very slightly faded, leather with a few faint marks and dings, a number of small defects internally, none remotely serious. An attractive copy. This collection of imaginative fables is the only book in Kipling's corpus to have been illustrated by the author himself. Originally conceived as bedtime stories for the author's daughter, the tales and poems included here tell how the first letter and alphabet came to be, the origin of animals such as the armadillo, and how several animals came to look the way they do (the camel, for example was sanctioned with a hump for his laziness). Written in a playful and rhythmic style, the stories have enchanted generations of young people and earned a place among the classics of children's literature.
VANBRUGH, JOHN
220 x 165 mm. (8 3/4 x 6 3/4"). [4] p.l., 104 pp. (mispaginated but complete). Attractive tan morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe (signed in gilt on the front turn-in), spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, covers with central gilt-tooled lozenges with scrolling foliate motifs, all edges gilt. Pforzheimer 1021; Wing V-57; Day, "History of English Literature 1660-1837," pp. 26-27; Hume, pp. 412-13. âThe spine slightly darkened, a little light rubbing to corners and joints, internally a shade less than bright, but extremely fresh and clean. Perhaps washed, but an altogether pleasing copy. This is a handsomely bound copy of the extremely rare first edition of a play Hume calls "one of the last true 'Restoration' comedies." Architect, playwright, and spy Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) composed "The Relapse" as a sequel to Colley Cibber's popular play "Love's Last Shift." The central plot focuses on a marriage endangered by temptation and infidelity, but the play is best remembered for the subplot, which features the reprise of Colley Cibber's role as Lord Foppington (previously known as Sir Novelty Fashion). Foppington, a personification of foolish high fashion, is described by Hume as "the greatest fop conceived in this period--brutal, evil, and smart." "The Relapse" was a success following its initial performance in 1696, although it received some critical backlash on moral grounds. The first edition was published the following year, and includes in its preface a (rather halfhearted) defense against the accusations of immorality. The first edition is remarkably rare: there seems to be no copy currently in the marketplace, the last copy we could trace at auction was offered in 1977, and the play appears not to have been included in any group lot since then.
290 x 227 mm. (11 1/2 x 9"). xxix, [1], 223, [1] pp. SUPERB HONEY-BROWN CRUSHED MOROCCO, GILT AND INLAID, BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE (stamp-signed on front turn-in), covers with Arts & Crafts-style frame of gilt rules punctuated with inlaid green morocco dots, inlaid green morocco Tudor roses at corners with four leafy branches, upper cover with gilt titling at head of central panel, central gilt-ruled medallion contain the letters "E B" in inlaid blue and green morocco with a collar lettered "XMAS 1912," this surrounded by a wreath of gilt vines and eight inlaid green morocco roses, raised bands, spine compartments with French fillet frames, two panels with gilt lettering, turn-ins with multiple gilt rules, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Housed in a felt-lined buckram clamshell box. With 20 full-page black and white illustrations, numerous illustrations in the text, and 13 COLOR PLATES, as called for, each mounted on heavy brown stock and protected by lettered tissue guard. Printed on Large Paper. WITH HAND-ILLUMINATED PRESENTATION LEAF BOUND IN: "TO EDMUND" written in burnished gold, surrounded by curling leafy vines in blue, orange, and green, "WITH BEST WISHED FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR" written in black ink, an ornament below it in colors and gold, and "FROM THE BINDERY / XMAS. 1912." in black and red ink at foot. Front pastedown with engraved bookplate of EMB and EWB; front free endpaper with ex-libris of L. W. Jordan Jr. and with pencilled inscription " To Roxy from Edmund." Hudson, p. 169; Latimore and Haskell, pp. 38-39. ?The typical offsetting on free endpapers from binder's glue used for turn-ins, very small, very faint areas of transfer from acidic mounts used for color plates (wherever tissue guard doesn't fully cover a facing leaf), other trivial imperfections, but still QUITE A LOVELY COPY, clean and fresh internally, and in an unworn handsome binding. In a fine binding by an eminent English workshop, this is Rackham's take on the famous fables, populated with charming animals anthropomorphized to just the right degree, along with wistful maidens, ancient crones, and some seriously sinister trees. Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) studied art at Lambeth School, where the work of his fellow student Charles Ricketts influenced his development. As Houfe says, soon after Rackham joined the staff of "The Westminster Budget" in 1892, he began concentrating "on the illustration of books and particularly those of a mystical, magic, or legendary background. He very soon established himself as one of the foremost Edwardian illustrators and was triumphant in the early 1900s when color printing first enabled him to use subtle tints and muted tones to represent age and timelessness. Rackham's imaginative eye saw all forms with the eyes of childhood and created a world that was half reassuring and half frightening. His sources were primarily Victorian, and among them are evidently the works of Cruikshank, Doyle, Houghton, and Beardsley, but also the prints of Dürer and Altdorfer." After studying under, and then working for, Douglas Cockerell, Francis Sangorski and George Sutcliffe founded their own bindery in 1901 and continued in a successful partnership until 1912. During that year, the firm suffered three major blows: their famously splendid jewelled binding, dubbed the "Great Omar," was lost on the Titanic; a few weeks after this accident, Francis himself drowned; and Francis' brother, Alberto, who had been a central figure in producing the firm's vellum illuminated manuscripts, went over to Riviere. Despite these losses, the firm grew and prospered, employing a staff of 80 by the mid-1920s and becoming perhaps the most successful English bindery of the 20th century. This special binding was created as a Christmas present, and includes a hand-illuminated leaf from the bindery, possibly done by Alberto before he moved to Riviere. Despite there being a presentation leaf, monogram on the cover, and bookplate with initials, the identity of "Edmund" remains a mystery. Evidentially, he had been a very good boy that year, because this beautiful Christmas binding would have made an extraordinarily nice gift--as much then as it would be now.
185 x 107 mm. (7 1/4 x 4 1/4"). xii, 408 pp. Leaf A4 mis-bound before A3. Retrospective modern green quarter calf over marbled boards, flat spine with blind-ruled compartments with gilt tooled flowers, red morocco label with gilt lettering. Front pastedown with bookplate of "Elizabeth P. McLean, Garden Historian"; early ink ownership inscriptions of Roderick McHenry and R. Broder on front free endpaper and title, respectively; title page with contemporaneous signature of R. Procter. ?One page with small losses to 14 lines of text because of printing flaw, another with a corrosive spill (a gardening chemical?) minimally affecting text, minor foxing and browning, but, all and all, a pleasing copy--much cleaner than expected for this kind of book, and in a sympathetic binding with virtually no wear. Written by Charles Marshall (d. 1818), amateur gardener and vicar of Brixworth in Northamptonshire, this is a thorough, fascinating guide to the garden as seen through late 18th century eyes, including descriptions of the uses and consumption of many vegetables and herbs as well as the aesthetic and technical concerns of the gardener. The work includes guides to the propagation and care of a wide variety of plants--from herbs, fruits, and vegetables (with a whole section on cucumbers and melons) to decorative trees and shrubs. It additionally includes a section on the management of fish in garden ponds, as well as an essay entitled "On the Profession of a Gardener" (which appeared in the first edition of this book but was removed from the second). Our volume has clearly been loved by more than one generation of gardeners; it bears the bookplate of Elizabeth McLean, a researcher in botany and its history at Drexel University, and will certainly remain a charming addition to the libraries of those who find gardening, in Marshall's words, "so favorite a pursuit.".
236 x 164 mm. (9 1/4 x 6 1/2"). xix, [1], 79, [5] pp. Publisher's limp vellum, gilt lettering to upper cover and flat spine, four original green silk ties. Printer's device on final leaf. Front free endpaper with ex-libris of L. W. Jordan Jr. Tomkinson, p. 153; Ransom, p. 397. ?Half a dozen pages with naturally occurring darker grain on the hair side of the vellum, otherwise A PRISTINE COPY inside and out. Looking much as it did the day it left the press, this is one of the especially sought-after luxury editions printed on vellum by the Riccardi Press of the Medici Society between 1909-24. First published in 1865 to great acclaim, this dramatic work of verse by Swinburne (1837-1909) is based on the Greek myth of the Calydonian boar hunt. In it, Meleager, the huntress Atalanta, and other heroes from across Greece battle a monstrous boar sent by Artemis to punish the city of Calydon, whose king had neglected to pay the goddess her proper tribute. Meleager's decision to award Atalanta the boar's pelt sparks outrage among the male hunters, and the ensuing fallout eventually leads to the tragic death of Meleager at the hands of his own mother. Britannica tells us that, in this piece, Swinburne "attempted to re-create in English the spirit and form of Greek tragedy" in "Atalanta," and that "his lyric powers are at their finest in this work." Founded by Herbert Horne, the Riccardi Press was adopted as the imprint of the Medici Society in 1909 and issued books until 1933. According to Tomkinson, "the books have nearly all been printed at the Chiswick Press (under the supervision of Charles T. Jacobi until his retirement in 1922) and published by Philip Lee Warner, who was Publisher to the Medici Society until his death in 1925. . . . The aim of the Press has been to produce finely printed books at reasonable prices and for sale through the ordinary channels of trade. . . . All editions are strictly limited, and the type is distributed after the edition has been printed." This copy is close to pristine, with no signs of wear, and it features beautiful, buttery soft vellum leaves that offer a very pleasurable tactile experience. No. 9 OF 12 COPIES ON VELLUM, of which 10 were for sale (and 1,025 copies on paper, 1,000 of them for sale).
225 x 157 mm. (9 7/8 x 6"). 11 p.l., 998 (i.e. 996) pp., [26] leaves. With mispagination, but complete. Contemporary vellum, raised bands, ink lettering on spine, a handful of leaves unopened. With engraved frontispiece, woodcut title vignette, initials, and tailpieces, and WITH COPIOUS WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS. Title in red and black. See: Clair, "A History of European Printing," p. 301. ?Vellum vaguely soiled and with several small stains and marks, but very sound and generally pleasing. Contents with an inkblot in one margin, a handful of folds to corners, other isolated imperfections, but IN FINE CONDITION INTERNALLY, EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN AND FRESH THROUGHOUT. This is an especially clean copy of a profusely illustrated Vulgate Bible, with woodcut blocks that date from at least the 17th century. The Pezzanas were an important printing family who succeeded the Giunti after that firm's decline. According to Clair, during the 17th and 18th centuries the Pezzana family of printers "surpassed all others in Italy . . . for the production of Bibles and liturgical books." The woodcuts in the present work also appear in other Bibles printed by the Pezzanas, with the earliest being an edition from 1669. The frontispiece here deserves special attention. It is the work of Elisabetta Piccini (1644-1734), a Venetian artist who learned drawing and engraving from her father, Giacomo Piccini. She changed her name to Sister Isabella after entering the Franciscan convent of Santa Croce, but continued to produce engravings--particularly for prayer books and religious manuals--over the course of many years. The woodcuts in the present copy are a good deal richer than what one would expect in a book of this sort from the 1720s.
172 x 100 mm. (6 3/4 x 4"). 136 pp. Tasteful deep blue morocco by Bayntun (stamp-signed on front turn-in), the covers double ruled in gilt, the spine with raised bands, gilt in double-ruled compartments with annular cornerpieces and gilt lettering, wide leather turn-ins with fleuron cornerpieces, all edges gilt. Verso of title page with early ink owner's inscription of Mary Langstaff; ink marginalia to the final page. Sabin, 200015; Ayer, 70. ?Very probably washed, but still quite fresh. A lovely copy inside and out. This is a finely bound copy of one of Colonial America's most important captivity narratives. Jonathan Dickenson (also Dickinson, 1663-1722), was an Anglo-American Quaker merchant who eventually became mayor of Philadelphia. On his first voyage to Philadelphia from his prior home of Jamaica, he and his party were shipwrecked off the coast of Florida, on what is now Jupiter Island. The group, which included his family, the Quaker missionary Robert Barrow, and a group of enslaved Africans, was taken captive by the local Jobé (or Jaega) people following the wreck. Also known as "Jonathan Dickinson's Journal," this is his firsthand account of this captivity and the party's subsequent harrowing journey north to St. Augustine. Originally published in 1699, "God's Protecting Providence" was a bestseller in its own time, used by its Quaker publishers as a conversion tool, and eagerly received by British audiences as a sensational account of the apparent savagery of the native Floridians. Historian Jason Daniels notes that this sensationalism was clearly an intentional choice on the part of the publishers, as demonstrated by the differences in language between the printed version of the treatment received by the party and the (kinder) portrayal in the original manuscript. Despite its biases, this text is incredibly valuable to historians, particularly because it is a rare record of direct interactions between Europeans and the indigenous population of this area. It provides exceptional insights into the motivations and practical actions of these native groups, as they adjusted to a swiftly changing world and managed contact with multiple European groups entering their territory. This copy is housed in a very pleasant Bayntun binding, and compares quite favorably with other copies of this important work to come to market in recent years.
166 x 95 mm. (6 1/2 x 3 3/4"). x, 594 pp.; x, 541 pp. Two volumes bound in one. Very nice crimson straight-grain morocco, gilt, by Riviere & Son (stamp-signed on verso of front free endpaper), covers with double gilt fillet border, raised bands, spine handsomely gilt in compartments with floral frame, gilt lettering, densely gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Both parts with frontispiece portrait (Spenser in vol. I, Elizabeth I in vol. II) and illustrated title page by Garth Jones printed on Japon. ?Ends of joints a little rubbed, spine leather slightly darkened (but gilt still bright), with minor fading on front, and small dark spot at bottom of front and rear covers, but the binding sound and pleasing on the shelf; occasional wrinkling to head margin of leaves, other trivial imperfections internally, but the text clean, fresh, and bright. Printed on fine, thin paper that allows two volumes to fit comfortably in one, this is a pretty copy of a pocket-sized edition of Spenser's famous allegorical verse paean to Elizabeth and the Elizabethan age, in a binding by an historic British firm. Loosely based on Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," and the English literary work most comparable in scope to the "Divine Comedy," Spenser's "Faerie Queen" was an immense undertaking (in nine-line stanzas invented for this poem). In Day's words, Spenser (ca. 1552-99) was the first modern English poet to achieve major stature, and to demonstrate "with his fluency in many meters and stanzaic forms . . . that English was at least the equal to any other language as a vehicle of great poetry." While "The Faerie Queene" looks backward as the culmination of the allegorical verse tradition of the Pearl Poet, Langland, and Chaucer, Spenser has influenced with "his fertile imagination and especially his sensuous imagery and melodic language" nearly every important English poet who followed him. The binding here is the work of one of the foremost names in English binding. Robert Riviere began as a bookseller and binder in Bath in 1829, then set up shop as a binder in London in 1840; in 1881, he took his grandson Percival Calkin into partnership, at which time the firm became known as Riviere & Son (as here), and the bindery continued to do business until 1939.
220 x 135 mm. (8 5/8 x 5 3/8"). Two volumes. VERY PRETTY CONTEMPORARY SCARLET STRAIGHT-GRAIN MOROCCO, covers with gilt-ruled frame decorated with multiple overlapping gilt door handle tools and floral cornerpieces, central panel with gilt-ruled lozenge enclosed by gilt rules and blind floral rolls, raised bands, compartments gilt, wide turn-ins ruled in gilt and with repeating flower motif in blind and small gilt circles in the centers, green inlaid cornerpieces with gilt tooling, blue watered silk endpapers, all edges gilt. With eight plates after Henry Fuseli, including frontispiece to each volume. Verso of front free endpaper with armorial bookplate of Lewis Way. âSpines a little sunned, corners a bit worn and tending to turn inward, light scuffing to extremities, plates lightly foxed, but the text extremely clean and the pleasing bindings with minor issues only. This is an attractively illustrated and handsomely bound edition of the finely crafted poetry of William Cowper (1731-1800), the most notable English poet before the Romantics in terms of a tendency to be confessional in one's verse. Given the fact that he was institutionalized and that he several times attempted suicide, these self-revelatory poems can easily be seen as a kind of therapeutic experience, and it is testimony to the complexity of his personality that so much of Cowper's verse is light, conversational, and epigrammatic. His poems range widely, from religious reflections to translations of Homer to poetry inspired by a lady's suggestion that he could write on any topic, including a sofa (see vol. II, p. 1). The plates here were designed by Henry Fuseli (1741-1825), a Swiss-born painter who lived mainly in England. He was best known for his paintings exploring the supernatural, as well as his influence on the young William Blake. DNB calls him "A superb and intensely dramatic draughtsman . . . notorious for his sensational, demonic, irrational, and bizarre subjects," leading "the surrealists to claim him as a forerunner." Though unsigned, the bindings here are extremely attractive, with tasteful gilding and luxurious touches such as wide, decorative turn-ins and watered silk endleaves. This copy was previously owned by Lewis Way, an Evangelical reverend who made it his mission to promote Christianity among the Jews. It was his particular belief that returning Jews to the Holy Land would fulfill a biblical prophecy, and to this end he secured several audiences with Tsar Alexander I in the attempt to persuade him to the cause. His home at Stansted Park reportedly contained a library that included rare Judaica and Hebraica.
250 x 125 mm. (8 x 5"). 8 p.l., xxvi, 443, [1] pp., 6 leaves (index). Plain contemporary calf, spine with raised bands, head and tail of spine (and some edges and corners) skillfully restored. Four copperplate diagrams inserted into the text, three folding; additionally with two attractive woodcut headpieces and one tailpiece, all with scrolling foliate motifs. Front pastedown with handwritten bookplate of L. A. Skinner, 4 The Ridge, Coulsdon, Surrey. ESTC T129360. ?Spine and edges of the boards dried and darkened, lower corner of front cover with large discoloration from damp, text with very thin dampstain (all suggesting the book survived a fire?), but the binding sturdy and the text surprisingly clean and fresh nevertheless. This is a nicely illustrated work that had a huge impact on British horticulture as the first work to focus in depth on the practicalities of growing plants in a cold climate like that of Scotland. Scottish lawyer and horticulturist Sir James Justice (1698-1763) was well known among his contemporaries for the collection of rare and exotic plants he curated on his Midlothian estate. He is credited with having cultivated the first pineapple in Scotland and was elected to the Royal Society for his botanical efforts. Fellow Royal Society member William Houston named in his honor the genus Justicia, which contains more than 900 species of (mostly tropical) flowering plants. This work, his best known, was originally published in Edinburgh in 1754 under the title "The Scots Gardiners Director." Because of its obvious relevance for gardeners in Scotland, it was an immediate success there, as well as in northern England and Ireland. This led to the re-titling of the book to "The British Gardener's Director," and the publication of two further editions in Edinburgh, followed by our 1765 Dublin edition, which seems to be quite rare on the market.
195 x 117 mm. (7 1/2 x 4 1/2"). xxxiii, [3], 368 pp. Very pleasing deep green cross-grain morocco by Hayday (stamp-signed on the front free endpaper), raised bands, spine with gilt lettering, covers double ruled with floral cornerpieces, gilt-tooled turn-ins, all edges gilt. Attractive historiated headpieces and tailpieces throughout, with floriated capitals beginning each poem. Ink ownership inscription of Frederick George Banbury, dated Easter 1863. âCorners negligibly bumped and rubbed, but the binding especially lustrous and generally very nice. Endpapers a bit foxed, affecting adjacent pages, otherwise quite clean and fresh internally. Scottish lawyer and writer Sir Theodore Martin (1816-1909) produced a variety of works throughout his career, which included poetry, plays, and translations, along with a biography of Prince Albert commissioned by Queen Victoria. This translation of Horace's Odes, initially published in 1860, is described by DNB as "more fluent than scholarly." Despite (or perhaps because of) this, the translation went into a second edition the following year, and was additionally released in an American edition. Our copy is of this second English edition, and has the ownership inscription of politician and businessman Frederick George Banbury, first Baron Banbury of Southam (1850-1936), Conservative Member of Parliament and animal welfare activist, serving as chairman of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. One of the most prominent and productive English binders of the 19th century, James Hayday (1796-1872) first appeared in the London directories in 1825, and a dozen years later, he was employing a staff of between 30 and 40, including 10 finishers. He was known for his decorative work, using high quality leather and being very liberal with gilt embellishment. The present binding is obviously more plain than decorative, but, like all Hayday volumes, this one is covered with high quality leather that has been worked with expert hands.
260 x 200 mm. (10 1/4 x 7 3/4"). Three volumes. Pleasing contemporary calf, raised bands, compartements decorated with floral tools, one red and one dark brown morocco label with gilt lettering, all edges dyed red. With woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces, first volume with several woodcut illustrations and one plate. A handful of leaves with contemporary (or slightly later) marginal notations. Brunet III, 1262; Graesse IV, 317. ?General wear and cracks affecting perhaps half the length of the joints (but all boards firmly attached), three corner tips with leather gone, covers with minor discoloration, other insignificant signs of wear, but the bindings still quite attractive on the shelf; a few signatures slightly toned, isolated smudges and other trivial imperfections, but a substantial work in fine condition internally, quite clean and bright, and with very generous margins. This substantial set contains a selection of writings and letters by two of the most gifted members of the Congregation of St. Maur, a group of Benedictine monks recognized for their scholastic achievements. Jean Mabillon (1632-1707) is considered the founder of paleography and diplomatics; his most famous book, "De Re Diplomatica," virtually created the science of Latin paleography and established lasting principles for determining the authenticity and date of Medieval charters and manuscript. In 1664 he was installed in the great literary workshop of the Maurists at Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, and during the next 20 years, he produced a staggering amount of remarkably erudite work. The present three volumes bring together some of Mabillon's lesser known (but no less learned) works, including several short treatises, letters, and an intriguing work criticizing the veneration of the so-called "unknown saints" of the catacombs, which was censured by the Holy See. Our volumes also include Mabillon's lauded "Traité des Études Monastiques," which, in the words of the Catholic Encyclopedia, "was a noble defence of monastic learning." Also included here are works by Mabillon's disciple, collaborator, and fellow Maurist, Thierry Ruinart (1657-1709), including an expansive history of Pope Urban II, and a description of a journey to Alsace and Lotharingia.
209 x 146 mm. (8 1/4 x 5 3/4"). Single column, 20 lines, in an attractive gothic script. Rubrics in red, line-filler in pink and gold with white tracery and a small gilt stripe in the center, 18 one-line initials and three two-line initials in gold on pink and blue ground with white tracery, A FIVE-LINE HISTORIATED INITIAL DEPICTING "NOLI ME TANGERE," the initial painted blue with white tracery on a red ground with gold decoration, WITH A THREE-QUARTER BORDER featuring painted gold and blue acanthus, sprays of colorful flowers, and many tiny ink dots and gilt bezants. âMargins lightly soiled, a couple of tiny spots and smudges, but IN FINE CONDITION, the paint very fresh and the initial especially well preserved. This attractive manuscript leaf contains a charming historiated initial picturing the infrequently encountered New Testament scene known as "Noli me tangere," in which the resurrected Christ appears to Mary Magdalene in a garden near his tomb, beseeching her to "touch me not." This admonition is not to be understood that Mary's touch would somehow contaminate the risen Christ, but rather that the two of them are no longer capable of having a physical connection, one being a human, the other now a spirit; only an inner bond of love can exist. The artist has succeeded here in showing a good amount of detail in a small space, including a wattled fence and large, leafy tree to set the scene, Mary's ointment jar on the ground, and the marks of the Crucifixion still visible on Christ's hands and feet. The coloring here is bright, clear, and beautifully done, adding to the overall quality and attractiveness of the initial. The text here appears to come from Lauds in the Hours of the Virgin, a section normally accompanied by an image of the Visitation; why "Noli me tangere" was chosen instead remains something of a mystery, and would be worth investigating further. Whatever the case, we can say with certainty that the historiated initial, many small gilt initials, and colorful three-quarter border, all executed with precision, create a most delightful mise-en-page that encourages the eye to linger and explore.
160 x 95 mm. (6 1/2 x 3 3/4"). 7 p.l., 384 pp. Contemporary panelled calf, raised bands, later red morocco label with gilt lettering. Title in red and black with a triangular vignette of fruit and scrolling foliage; each section with foliated capitals and ending with a woodcut tailpiece depicting a basket of fruit. Front flyleaf with early ink owner's inscription of "G. Ibotson." Ter Meulen & Diermanse 981. ?Joints with thin cracks, covered stained and scarred, other minor signs of use, but the binding entirely solid and inoffensive. Dampstains throughout, almost always quite faint, but occasionally more apparent. A decent unsophisticated copy. Dutchman Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) was one of the most learned men of his time, and after his landmark publication "De Jure Bellis et Pacis," he was recognized as founder of the modern science of the law of nature and nations. In his early life, Grotius was recognized as a precocious genius (at 15 he edited the encyclopedic work of Martianus Capella), but he later was sentenced to life imprisonment on theological grounds. He continued to study and write in prison, smuggling his books in and out in a laundry chest, and he eventually made his escape in the same container. By far the most popular of Grotius' works, the present book is a treatise maintaining the truth of the Christian religion, as opposed to other religions--rather than a polemic in support of a particular variety of Christianity at the expense of another Christian sect. The piece reflects the author's attitude toward the great schism: he dedicated himself to reconciling Catholic and Protestant by emphasizing a common piety, an approach for which he was made to suffer greatly. "De Veritate Religionis Christianae" was first published in 1627, and was initially written for an audience of sailors, whom Grotius deemed in danger of being lured away from the true faith during their travels. (This copy's salt water stains suggest that it may have achieved this intended purpose.) Our edition is a reprint of the 1729 Hague edition, with a title page (with its triangular vignette) matching the copy in the British Museum, as noted by Ter Meulen and Diermanse.
157 x 105 mm. (6 1/4 x 4"). [331] leaves (lacking blank O8). Double column, 35 lines plus headline, gothic type. Edited by Benedictus Brixianus. Deep green morocco by Brugalla (stamp-signed and dated 1950 on the front turn-in), boards stamped in black and gilt in rows of fleurons within diamonds, raised bands separating five similarly decorated compartments, all edges gilt. Woodcut initials thorughout; printer's device on the colophon. Early ink owner's inscription to the title page in a neat italic hand: "Collegii Sancti Martini Soc. Jesu;" intermittent early ink marginal notes and underlining, leaves numbered in ink in the upper right corner in an old hand. Goff J-251; BMC VII 978; BSB-Ink I-369; ISTC ij00251000. âSpine uniformly sunned to a light tan, very light rubbing to the corners, internally with occasional minor foxing, a few light marginal stains, other trivial defects, but an excellent copy, quite clean and fresh, in an attractive, scarcely worn modern binding. This attractively printed and attractively bound volume contains a very rarely seen copy of the 55 Lenten sermons by Johannes de Aquila (d. 1479). These primarily deal with the topic of sin, including the usual offenses of sloth, adultery, blasphemy, and pride. Perhaps more notably, the sermons also include simony and usury, major sins of the financial world, as a reflection of the burgeoning commercial world of the Italian Renaissance. An additional sermon, "Sermo in Annuntiatione Beatae Mariae Virginis," is bound between the introduction and first sermon; this sermon was apparently sometimes bound at the end, following the colophon, as in the BSB copy. This was the first printing of de Aquila's sermons, which was followed by a Venetian edition of 1499. Our first edition was the work of Angelus Brittanicus, who, with his brother Jacobus, ran a press in Brescia from about 1485-1511. Jacobus had been trained in printing in Venice, where he worked independently for several years before going into business with his brother. The two issued more than 30 Latin books dealing with humanism, theology, and the law. BMC notes that although the colophons of their books typically only mention one brother or the other, "the brothers always continued in association, whether the colophons mention both together. . . or either separately. . . and it is further evident that Jacobus, as his device indicates, looked after the actual printing, while Angelus acted as business manager." The present book is very rare: besides our copy, we could trace only one (very incomplete) copy at auction. Goff locates just four copies.
230 x 145 mm. (9 x 5 3/4"). [2] p.l., ix [1], 372 pp., [2] leaves (ads). Original boards, with later gray holland backing, hinges repaired with fabric tape. Three plates depicting the anatomy of flowers. Title page with ink owner's inscription of "N. O. Booth." ?Original boards a little soiled, corners and edges showing expected wear, but the restored binding solid and rather appealing. A few light stains and corner creases, plates and adjacent pages somewhat foxed, otherwise very clean and fresh internally. This is a pleasing copy featuring original boards of an English work on fruit trees by an author of some importance. Henry Phillips (1778-1840) was a horticultural writer working out of Brighton and London who was a fellow of the Horticultural Society and the Linnean Society. He published a number of works on various aspects of plants; "Companion for the Orchard" is a republication of his 1820 "Pomarium Brittanicum," and ours is the initial edition of this republication. In it, Phillips provides an overview of all fruits grown in Britain. He explains the history of each plant and its name, often drawing on Classical sources, and describes its current cultivation and medicinal and culinary uses. The provenance of this book is fitting: N. O. Booth is likely Nathaniel O. Booth, a later American horticulturalist associated with the New York Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell University, who assisted with the writing of the works "Grapes of New York" and "Apples of New York.".
