Coventry Printing
17804 [ANON.] THE BOOK OF MARTYRS: or, the history of paganism and popery. Wherein is contained I. An account of the sufferings and crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ... X. God's judgments upon persecutors. Abstracted from the best authors, both ancient and modern. Coventry: printed by T. Luckman, near the Cross: and sold by J. Fuller, in Newgate-street... London; 1764. 8vo though largely in 4s, (201x126mm), 440,[8]p. engraved frontispiece; some occasional spotting and a small tear, without loss, at the head of 2R1. Contemporary quarter calf, front joint repaired, marbled paper sides, rather worn; armorial bookplate of Richardson of Pitfour, engraved by Gardners of Perth, and a later bookplate. (Morgan Printing and Publishing in Warwickshire p8) £250.00
Thomas Luckman issued three editions of this violently anti-Catholic martyrology in 1764: an edition in 12mo of 300 pages, an edition in 8vo without the final 4 leaves of index, and that which we offer here, deemed by Estc to be the second edition. The total number of copies located on Estc from all three editions being but nine. There was also an edition of [1765] with the London bookseller being given precedence over Luckman on the title which, without examining a copy, we suspect may well be a Luckman printing; again it is rare with only four located copies. This present edition may perhaps be a somewhat unusual example of compositorial practice as the first two signatures are in eights, signature C is in six, and thereafter the book is in fours, furthermore leaf D3 is signed D2. In the preface the anonymous editor acknowledges his debt to John Foxe and other writers but notes that 'the Unhappiness is, that [their writings] are either dispersed and scattered about in different Books, or buried in such large Volumes, that it is impossible for the serious laborious Part of our Protestant Brethren either to find time to read, or Money to purchase them.'

16577 [ANON.] THE FOLLY OF APPOINTING MEN OF PARTS TO THE GREAT OFFICES OF STATE. London: Printed for J. Coote, 1758. 8vo, (169x110mm), 24p. shaved close at the fore-edge of the dedication and 4 text pages with very minor loss of the first or last letters of each line, small tear in the half title neatly repaired, early owner's signature of Wm Brigge on the half-title. Disbound and preserved in a modern binders' cloth envelope chemise. £145.00
'This is, upon the whole, a sprightly performance, intended to ridicule that detestable ministerial policy, of appointing men of ductile nature, and contemptible talents, into the great offices of state.' (Monthly review, 1758). Uncommon, Estc locates only six copies in the British Isles.

12836 BETTESWORTH, Arthur, Bookseller. A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS PRINTED AND SOLD BY A. BETTESWORTH, at the Red-Lion in Pater-Noster-Row. (Caption-titled thus). London: A Bettesworth, [1726.] 8vo, (197x123mm), 16p. browned, outer bi-folium repaired at the spine with japanese tissue and the whole sewn into modern Ingres paper wrappers. Preserved in a custom made binders' cloth envelope chemise. £150.00
An extremely rare early Eighteenth century bookseller's catalogue with almost ten pages devoted to a priced author & title list of general stock, followed by a little over a page of Libri usum scholarum; the remaining pages are devoted to `Books lately published' with the full titles given together with edition, format and price.

16353 BUCKLER, John. AN ALBUM OF 81 AQUATINT ENGRAVING'S AND SUPPORTING ARTIST'S ETCHED OUTLINE PROOFS OF VIEWS OF CATHEDRAL, COLLEGIATE AND MINSTER CHURCHES OF ENGLAND; COLLEGES OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY, &C. Bermondsey: J. Buckler, 1798-1813. Folio, plate line 435x604mm; plate mark 525x650mm, sheet size 565x725mm (approx.), The collection comprises 42 highly-finished aquatint views and 39 etched outline proof states (most carrying a pencilled signature by the artist) of architectural views of churches as detailed below, the images are printed, for the most part, on John Whatman's handmade paper. Near-contemporary half red morocco, backstrip in five compartments with flat bands, gilt lettered on the backstrip: 'Buckler's Cathedrals, with a gilt fleur-de-lys ornament tooled in each of the other compartments, sides and endleaves of French-shell marbled paper. £25,000.00
The collection comprising: Cathedrals present in both finished aquatint and etched outline: Canterbury, Carlisle, Chichester, Durham, Ely (2 views), Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield (2 views) Lincoln, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Rochester, Salisbury (2 views), Wells, Winchester, Worcester, Westminster, and York (2 views); with Bristol present in etched outline only. Other churches: Boston (finished aquatint only), Ripon, Romsey (2 views), and Southwell. Abbeys: Fountains, Rievaulx, and Whitby. Colleges: Christchurch, Magdalen (4 views - 2 present only in finished aquatint), New, and Queen's Colleges, Oxford, and Winchester. The collection concludes with a view of the Iron Bridge in Boston. John Buckler (1770-1851) was one of the most important English topographical engravers of his era. Dr Routh, President of Magdalen College, Oxford gave Buckler his patronage in the publication of two aquatint engravings of the college (perhaps two of those included in the collection). These presumably met with sufficient success to encourage Bucker to commence a series of engraved views of similar buildings. Between the late 1790s and 1815, Buckler produced a series of large views of the cathedrals and collegiate churches of England, together with several colleges and other buildings. This collection is unusual in that, in almost every instance, an earlier state of the engravings, the artist's own etched proof in outline only of the building (and occasional bystanders) is present. These in themselves, though less visually dramatic than the finished engravings, are not without interest as in several instances they show pronounced changes to human figures in the foreground, thus giving an indication of the reality of the view as witnessed by the artist, and the final presentation, subtly altered to meet the iconographic expectations of the contemporary viewer. Such changes are most notable, and perhaps most dramatic, in the two states of the view of Canterbury Cathedral. In the etched outline proof a number of children are shown at play: two small children are playing chase while another group of three boys are playing at marbles while a small girl looks on, and finally a mother and child watch over the game. In the finished aquatint only the mother and child are present and the mother is left looking, rather blankly into empty space. Also on the same etching a rather foppish soldier is shown walking with a lady of fashion on his arm, in the final aquatint this couple have been replaced by a, perhaps more seemly, pair of divines. A detailed list of the engravings is available upon request.

Edinburgh printing.
2839 BUTLER, Samuel. HUDIBRAS. In Three Parts. Written in the time of the late wars. With annotations, and an exact index to the whole. Edinburgh: printed for John Fairbairn, Hunter’s-Square, and Archibald Constable at the Cross, 1799. 12mo, (165x102 mm). 335p. several tail-piece vignettes and a ‘finis’ vignette on the final leaf. Contemporary marbled calf, backstrip slightly worn but banded in gilt with red leather label, Japanese paper repair to the front joint. Typographic bookplate of J.P. Fleming, Dundee. £45.00
Also containing the large booksellers' ticket of Alexander Leadbetter of Kelso, a man described by the Oliver & Boyd's commercial traveller as one from whom it was 'troublesome to procure an order.'

16175 BYSSHE, Edward. THE ART OF ENGLISH POETRY, Vol the IIId. and IVth. Which, with the two former volumes, make a compleat common-place-book of English poetry: containing the most natural, instructive, diverting and sublime thoughts... Volume 3 [Complete thus]. London: printed for W. Taylor, 1718. 12mo, (163x98mm), [6],472p. some slight browning. Contemporary panelled calf, worn, backstrip tooled in gilt with a red leather label, the joints split and a small piece of leather lost from the tail of the backstrip. An early owner's inscription on the recto of the front free endleaf: 'Compleat R.G.J. P[ai]d S3.6d. RG Randolph Greenway Junr of Thavies Inn, Holbourne his book 5 Janry 1725.' while the verso carries the ownership inscription of Anna Eliz: Meyrick her book October 1766, which name also appears at the head of the title and page 1. £185.00
Volume three only; however, Estc locates seven copies (only one in the British Isles) and notes 'imperfect, wanting volume 4.' A highly influential work of great historical importance that sums up the neo-classic tendencies of the time, the Art of English poetry was originally published in as a single volume in 1702. It was expanded to 2 volumes in the fifth edition of 1714, an edition published by Buckley and a conger of Churchill, Midwinter, Cliffe, Browne and Taylor; the latter alone being noted on the imprint of this continuation we offer. By the sixth edition of 1718, all the booksellers of the fifth edition, with the exception of Browne, had been replaced and the work had reverted to 2 volumes.

Canvas Binding.
16100 CHAMBAUD, Lewis. THE RUDIMENTS OF THE FRENCH TONGUE: or, an easy and rational introduction to French grammar: wherein the principles of the language are methodically digested... Sixth edition, London: printed for T. Longman; G.G. and J. Robinson [and 8 other named London booksellers], 1795. 8vo, (175x115mm), [4],138p. +2p adverts. browned throughout. Original canvas binding, rather darkened with ages but with only slight wear to the head and tail of the backstrip and corners, lacking the front free endleaf and the hinges strained. Previous owners signature dated 1799 excised from the front pastedown endleaf, and that of John Sims 1842 added. £135.00
A rare example of an important French school textbook, ESTC locates no copies of either the fifth or sixth editions, which is here offered in the original binding thus presenting an example of an early development in non-leather binding materials; and may be seen as a precursor of later cloth binding. Canvas was first introduced as a binding material in the early 1770s and continued in occasional use as a sturdy and serviceable alternative to sheepskin for publications such as school textbooks into the early decades of the 19th century. Surprisingly, this not insignificant development in bookbinding history has received very little attention. Douglas Leighton contributed an essay on the subject to The Library (Series 4 vol. 3, 1948-9, 39-49), but other than short notices, almost in passing, in Middleton's History of English craft bookbinding technique and David Pearson's English bookbinding styles, it has passed virtually unnoticed in the literature of the subject. The straining of the front hinge does have one advantage in that it enables a closer inspection of the structure of this binding and reveals that the forwarding differs slightly from that noted by Leighton, in this instance being sewn on two tawed alum thongs rather than cord or tape.

Whitehaven printing.
10479 CHAPBOOK. THE SECOND PART OF THOMAS HICKATHRIFT. Whitehaven: Printed by Ann Dunn Market-Place [1795?] 12mo, (175x120mm), 24p. title cut (a triple scene from 'The valiant apprentice') engraved by 'R M' & 7 other cuts (4 of which are also by RM). Rather soiled and the fore and tail edges frayed however uncut and unopened from the original three half-sheet printings, and stab sewn in the gutter margin. (ESTC 172452) £150.00
A relatively common Whitehaven chapbook from the press of the daughter of John Dunn, the town's first chapbook printer. Relative that is, to the survival rate of other 18th century Whitehaven chapbooks, as ESTC records only 2 copies. However, there is also a copy in Carlisle Public Library and two other copies in private hands. The engraving on the title page displays a fine disregard for the niceties of typography showing as it does a landscape image printed in portrait format. The image itself is not without interest as it shows three scenes from the Valiant Apprentice and is copied from a London broadside ballad version of that tale printed in the 1670s. RM's identity remains unknown but he may be one MacDonald who called himself an engraver and who was resident in Whitehaven in 1762. Some two dozen of his cuts are known and all - with two exceptions - have been found used on Dunn chapbooks. The blocks for those two survived into the second half of the 19th century in the Charnley collection in Newcastle. All his other cuts - with the exception of one of the Charnley survivors (a scene from Crusoe) and a cut of a scene from Tom Thumb - are copies of cuts from London broadside ballads of the third quarter of the 17th century.

16244 CLARKE, John. EUTROPII HISTORIAE ROMANAE BREVIARIUM; cum versione Anglica, in qua verbum de verbo exprimitur: notis quoque & indice: or Eutropius's compendious history of Rome; together with an English translation, as literal as possible, noted and an index. By John Clarke. Thirteenth edition, London: printed for J.F. and C. Rivington... and T. Evans, 1785. 8vo, (208x128mm), xx,[4]164,[4]p. Several attractive ornamental engraved head- and tail-pieces. Contemporary calf, joint split and the corner tips rubbed. £75.00
Estc locates just 7 copies of this edition of which only 1 is in the UK (Nottingham UL). Printed double-column with the Latin text in Roman type and the English translation in italic, the final leaf carries bookseller's adverts for other works by Clarke.

16048 CLERGYMAN, A. A NEW HISTORY OF THE HOLY BIBLE; containing every thing memorable in the Old and New Testament, as well as the Apocrypha. The whole related in a regular and connected manner... By a clergyman of the church of England. Third edition. To which is now first added a useful and complete index. London: printed for F. Newbery, at the corner of St. Paul's Church Yard, 1772. 12mo, (158x92mm), [8],263,[6]p. ?lacking 3 pages of index which here ends with the catchword 'Pharoah.' Frontispiece portrait of George III engraved by J. Jury and dated 1762, and 12 engraved plates. Slightly spotted and with some very occasional marginal and textual annotation and correction. Contemporary marbled calf, worn at the tail of the front joint and a little rubbed at the edges. An early gift inscription on the front fly-leaf: 'J. Simpson begs his Daughter's acceptance of and attention to, this excellt. Book. Feb. 4: 1778.' (Roscoe John Newbery and his successors A34(9)) £295.00
Exceedingly rare, although Newbery produced six editions of this title, presumably in not insignificant print-runs, neither Roscoe nor ETSC record any locations for the first, second, or third editions; only single copies of the fifth and sixth editions, and three copies of the seventh edition. The London Chronicle of 7 January 1775 advertised this book priced at three shillings.

16156 COMMON PRAYER 1749. THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, and administration of the Sacraments... Oxford: printed by Thomas Baskett, 1749. [Bound with] THE HOLY BIBLE, containing the Old and New Testaments... Oxford: printed by Thomas Baskett, 1752. [and] THE WHOLE BOOK OF PSALMS, collected into English metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others... London: printed by A. Wilde, for the Company of Stationers, 1748. Together 3 volumes in 1. Oxford; London: 1748-52. 4to, (248x195mm), separate title to each part, including the New Testament. Contemporary reversed calf, blind tooled panel in the centre of both covers, joints, backstrip and corner tips worn. (Griffith, Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer 1749.5; Herbert, Historical catalogue of printed editions of the English Bible variant to 1752)£275.00
Estc records only the Bodleian copy of this issue of the BCP which ends on leaf H2; Blackett also printed another edition in the same year which end of H8 and is only located in 2 copies; while 4 copies of this edition of the Bible and 4 copies of the Psalms are recorded.

17149 CONDILLAC, E. Bonnot De. COURS D' ETUDE POUR L'INSTRUCTION DE JEUNES GENS. 6 volumes, [together with] LA LOGIQUE: ou les premiers developments de l'art de penser. In all 7 volumes in 4. Paris: Dufart, 1796-[1795]. 12mo, (125x80mm), 287,259; 227,224; 368; 276,226p. engraved frontispiece portrait & 9 engraved folding plates. Contemporary marbled calf, backstrips tooled in gilt with contrasting lettering pieces, joints and corner tips rubbed, small ownership stamp on the titles. £120.00

York printing.
16126 COOK, Thomas. THE UNIVERSAL LETTER-WRITER: or, new art of polite correspondence. Containing a course of interesting original letters, on the most instructive, and entertaining subjects. London: printed for A, Millar, ...; and for Wilson, Spence, and Mawman, York, 1796. 8vo, (168x105mm), 228p. Engraved frontispiece by Darton & Harvey. Contemporary (?original) sheep, worn and with some loss of leather from the edges. £125.00
Printed in York. A rare edition of this title (ESTC locates only two copies) of a typical false imprint from the York firm of Wilson, Spence and Mawman. In this instance they have included both of their apparently preferred methods of giving their books spurious London imprints by including in the imprint well-known or respected members of the London trade with whom they had no connection and who were either long-dead or to whom they gave false initials, in this instance Andrew Miller (arguably the bete noir of the provincial book trade) had died in 1768, and William Law in c.1779, while R. Cater is utterly fictitious and is probably aimed at William Cater who died in or about 1776.

16325 CULPEPER, Nicholas. A DIRECTORY FOR MIDWIVES: or, a guide for women, in their conception, bearing, and suckling their children. [bound with] THE ENGLISH PHYSICIAN. or, a treatise of practical physic, on the diseases of women. Together 2 volumes in 1. London: printed for D. Johnston, C. Ware, R. Gray, and G. Hay, 1777. 12mo, [2],134p. large folding plate, torn; [2],201p. some ink underscoring and annotation throughout, one gathering loose but holding. Contemporary half, calf, block-printed paste paper side, though the corner tips and paper sides very worn. £350.00
A rare, though late, edition; ESTC records only 6 copies of the first part and 7 of the second and notes that these two works were 'possibly issued...[together].' An assumption that is supported by this copy.

16365 DOMENICHI, Lodouico, &c. VITE DI PLUTARCO CHERONEO DE GLI HUOMINI ILLUSTRI GRECI ET ROMANI. Tradotte per M. Lodouico Domenichi, & altri. Et diligentemente confrontate co' testi Greci per M. Lionardo Ghini... Parte Seconda only. Venetia: appresso Marco Ginami, 1620. 4to, (203x150mm), [40],536p. printer's device on the title and ornate wood-engraved ornaments frames on the section titles, together with several head- and tail-pieces. Rebound in the mid-late 18th century, and shaved a little closely with occasional minor loss, in half vellum with leather spine lettering piece, (some worm activity in the spine) the sides covers with an attractive block-printed dominotier paper which is a little worn, rear hinge split. £125.00
A very attractive example of decorated paper on a handsome example of Venetian printing employing a delicate italic typeface.

9863 ENFIELD, William. THE SPEAKER: OR, MISCELLANEOUS PIECES, selected from the best writers, and disposed under proper heads, with a view to facilitate the improvement of youth in reading and speaking. A new edition, corrected and enlarged. To which are prefixed two essays I. On elocution. II. On reading works of taste. London: printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-yard;... 1797. 12mo, (174x102mm), lx,436p +[8]p.adverts however mis-bound as: [iv],xlviii,434,xlix-lii, 435-6, liii-liv, [advs 1-4], lv-lvi, [advs 5-6], lvii-lx [advs 7-8], 4 engraved plates by Heath after Stothard and carrying the imprint of Johnson's edition of 1780, first few leaves slightly dust-soiled and a fragment torn from the head-fore corner of the frontispiece leaf (without loss from the image) original fly-leaf present and carrying the signature of Susan Worledge of Crieting, St Peters, Suffolk dated 18 Oct 1799. Modern binders' cloth, printed back label, bookplate. £30.00
An uncommon edition of Enfield's famous reader and a title that, one suspects from the publisher's warning in the imprint, was considered fair game for piracy. Certainly its popularity remained undiminished for several decades and it was still being printed in the mid-nineteenth century. ESTC records only a few copies of which only 3 are in UK libraries, and one of those is imperfect.

16565 FENNING, Daniel. THE YOUNG MAN'S BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE: being a proper supplement to the young man's companion... The fifth edition... the geographical, geometrical, and astronomical parts by Mr. Moon,... the musical part by Dr. Arnold. and the other parts revised and corrected... [by] J. Malham. London: Printed for S. Crowder... and B.C. Collins in Salisbury, 1793. 12mo, (180x110mm), xvi,432p. 6 engraved plates (4 folding) some marginal wear, without loss from the image, of the final music plate, together with a number of woodcuts & engravings in the text. Contemporary (?original) sheep, rubbed and lacking a small piece of leather from the front cover, joints split and the rear cover almost detached. £225.00
Rare, Estc locates only two copies of this edition, neither in the British Isles; indeed of the six editions printed between [1764] and 1794 only 24 copies are recorded of what was obviously a popular contemporary children's encyclopaedia. Although there is no imprint to support our opinion, we cannot but wonder if this book was printed in Salisbury. Furthermore, there is an interesting example of contemporary bookselling practice on the title: the book's price is printed as 'three shillings and six-pence bound', this has been neatly excised in ink and the numeral 4 added above.

16576 FLOWER, Benjamin. THE FRENCH CONSTITUTION; WITH REMARKS ON SOME OF ITS PRINCIPLE ARTICLES; in which their importance in a political, moral and religious point of view, is illustrated; as the necessity of a reformation of church and state in Great Britain, enforced. Second edition, with corrections and additions. London: Printed for G.G.J. and J. Robinson, 1792. 8vo, (206x127mm), viii,454,[1]p. lightly browned throughout. Contemporary tree marble calf, joints split and corner tips worn, £85.00
During the 1790s, perhaps no radical was more consistent in his criticism of the policies of the Pitt administration and his advocacy of political reform than Benjamin Flower (1755-1829).... Flower, like many other radicals, paid for his political opinions - six months in Newgate in 1799 for calling the Bishop of Llandaff 'the Right Reverend time server and apostate.'... Flower later described the government's efforts to silence him as a great blessing, for 'considering my late imprisonment, with all its circumstances, my heart cannot but expand with gratitude to that all-wise and all-gracious providence, who in the concerns of individuals as well as in the concerns of the universe, brings order out of confusion, and good out of evil.' (Timothy Whelan 'Politics, religion and romance' in Wordsworth circle, 2005)

12490 GEORGE II. HIS MAJESTY'S MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, on Wednesday the Seventeenth day of June, 1747. London: Printed by Thomas Baskett, ... 1747. Folio, (297x192mm), 4p. lightly age-soiled, disbound, trimmed closely at the tail. £25.00
A variant to both the issues listed on ESTC, where two issues with different, highly ornamental, factotum initial letters and line ending variants are noted: one calls for a factotum of a lion and a horse either side of the initial N66479, while the other has a woman and a lion; the copy we offer has two angels holding an opened book. In his speech King George, is concerned about foreign warmongers, but pleased that 'tranquility' has been restored to North Britain.

17040 GOLDSMITH, Oliver. Dr. GOLDSMITH'S ROMAN HISTORY Abridged by himself for the use of schools. London: printed for S. Baker and G. Leigh; T. Davies; and L.Davis, 1772. 12mo, (169x100mm), [4],viii,311p. early owner's signature on the title and front pastedown endleaf, generally lightly browned throughout and with a small stain in the foremargin of several leaves. Contemporary sprinkled sheep, red leather back-label, joints rubbed and the corner tips worn, wanting the front free endleaf. £95.00

The first edition of the single-volume abridgement of Goldsmith's standard history produced, as he writes in the advertisement, at the suggestion of the heads of some of our principal schools. It was thought, that the substance of the Roman History, thrown in to easy narrative, would excite the curiosity of youth much more agreeably than in the common dry mode of Question and Answer... Estc locating only 3 copies in GB and a further 11 in NA.

17857 GRAVES, Richard. THE SPIRITUAL QUIXOTE: or, the summer's ramble of Mr. Geoffrey Wildgoose. A comic romance. 3 volumes, First edition, London: printed for J. Dodsley, 1773. 12mo, (158x96mm), xx,352; (iii-)viii,287; (iii-)xii,322p. vignette title in each volume; six pages supplied in photo-facsimile and a large part of the final leaf of volume 2 but without loss of any letterpress, slightly browned throughout. Near-contemporary quarter calf, marbled paper sides with vellum corner tips, pencilled signature of W.R. Brassington, and a later bookplate. £325.00
Described as one of the most entertaining of the lesser-known novels of the eighteenth century, this satire on methodism offers the reader a splendid insight into the simple order of country life and pastimes in the Cotswolds and the neighbouring counties at the time. The Dover's Hill sports, Warwick races, hunting, Morris dancing, and the grand parade at Bath are just some of the topics that are delightfully recorded by the author's genial and inventive pen.

16247 HAWKINS, John. COCKER'S ARITHMETICK: being a plain and familiar method, suitable to the meanest capacity for the full understanding of that incomparable art, as it is now taught by the ablest school-masters in the city and country. Composed by Edward Cocker... perused and published by John Hawkins, writing-master... Thirty-ninth edition. London: printed for H. and J. Tracy, at the Three Bibles on London Bridge, 1722. 8vo, 149x92mm), [12],215,[1]p. [?wood] engraved frontispiece portrait, lightly browned throughout due largely to poor quality paper stock. 19th-century half calf, morocco-grain cloth sides, joints and edges lightly rubbed, armorial bookplate. £175.00
A rare edition of a long-running arithmetical textbook, no copy of this edition is recorded on Etsc. Although the book ran to numerous editions in over a century, Estc locates no surviving copies of any edition between the twentieth edition (London 1700) and an Edinburgh edition of 1751, while only 7 of the 17th century editions appear to have survived and then in only handful of copies in total. The recto of the frontispiece carries an advert for Stow's Remarks on London 'In the press; and speedily will be published'; while the verso of the final leaf carries an advert for 'A most excellent natural Balsam... lately brought from Chili [sic], a province in America... far exceeding that of Peru and Tolu, in curing most diseases in human bodies' The 'Widow Tracy' then launches into an assault on John Stuart, stationer ... on London-Bridge who, it is claimed, has 'made a sham sort which is an imposition on the publick.'

Bristol printing.
17826 HOSKINS, Joseph. HYMNS ON SELECT TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE, AND OCCASIONAL SUBJECTS, carefully corrected and revised by James Moody and Mr. Bottomley. Bristol: printed by Bulgin and Rosser, for Richard Farman, 1789. 12mo, (154x98mm), [ii],[iv], (iii-)iv,412,[8]p. frontispiece portrait engraved by J. Cook of Bristol. A nice clean copy in contemporary sprinkled sheep, a small split at the head of the rear joint and small pieces of leather missing from both the front and read covers, early owner's signature of J. Richardson on the front free endleaf, modern bookplate. SOLD
Hoskins, a Congregational minister, served ten years at Castle Green Chapel in Bristol. In the three years before his death, he wrote 384 hymns, which were published posthumously by fellow Congregational ministers. Estc locates several copies of this title (the sole edition) and notes a variant of two unnumbered leaves headed 'Advertisement' which is present in this copy, Estc does not, however, note the presence of the locally-engraved frontispiece portrait.

John Day printing.
16695 HUMPHREY, Laurence. IOANNIS IUELLI ANGELI, EPISCOPI SARISBURIENSIS VITA & MORS, eiusq[sic]; verae doctrinae defensio, cum refutatione quorundam obiectorum, Thomae Hardingi, Nicol. Sanderi, Alani Copi, Hieronymi Osorij Lusitani, Pontaci Burdegalensis. Londoni: Apud Iohannum Dayum typographum [London: John Day printer], 1573. 4to, (177x133mm), [32],269,[21]p. wanting the errata leaf and conjugate blank, engraved portrait mounted on later handmade paper, the title set within and ornamental frame of printers' ornaments, with handsome wood-engraved initial letters and textual ornaments, a little browned here and there and with a faint stain from 2H2 to the end, some early marginal annotation and textual underscoring. Modern binders' cloth with the binder's ticket on the rear pastedown endleaf. £500.00
The first edition of Humphrey's life of Bishop John Jewel which also provides a vivid account of life at the University of Oxford during the reign of Edward VI. This book is also an example of the work of England's premier printer of sixteenth century and includes in the memorial verse that conclude the book two examples of his printing in Hebrew.

14454 HUSNER, Georg Printer. A LEAF FROM VORAGINE, LEGENDA AUREA [GOLDEN LEGEND]. Strasbourg: George Husner, 1483. Single leaf, 4to, (270x193mm), an unsigned leaf, 47 lines double column, blalck letter, with 2 initial letters added by hand , 1 in blue, 1 in red, manuscript textual rubrication and paragraphs marks mainly in red with with 2 in blue. A very small hole affecting but not detracting from the whole. £100.00
A fine example of early printing heightened by contemporary rubrication.

14453 HUSNER, Georg Printer. A LEAF FROM REGNIER, CASUS LONGI SECTI ET CLEMETINARUM. Strasbourg: George Husner, 1496. Single leaf, 4to, (275x204mm), leaf k3, 52 lines double column, black letter type, with headline recto: De institutionib; verso: De concef.preben. Slight browining on the head margin, otherwise a clean example. £80.00

16798 [HUTTON, Charles.] THE LADIES' DIARY: OR WOMAN'S ALMANACK, FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1777 [-88]; ... containing many improvements in arts and sciences, and many entertaining particulars: designed for the use and diversion of the fair-sex. 12 volumes in 2. [London:] Printed for the Company of Stationers, and sold by George Hawkins,... 1777-88. 8vo, (173x112mm), 48;48;48;48;48;48; 48;48;48;48;48;48p. printed in red and black with a woodcut on the titles and cuts and diagrams in the texts, tax stamp on the titles. The run preserved in two volumes in a contemporary binding of purple paper over limp boards with ms. back-labels. Typographic bookplate of Matthew Flinders, Donnington, Lincolnshire in each volume. A very good collection. £1,500.00
The seventy-fourth to eighty-fifth annual appearances of this influential almanac founded in 1704 by John Tipper a Coventry schoolmaster. By this period it was edited by the mathematician Charles Hutton, Professor at Woolwich Academy and both Fellow and Secretary of the Royal Society. The Ladies' Diary was aimed primarily at the new market of educated, leisured, middle-class women and its most successful feature was an annual set of riddles or 'enigmas' in verse. Readers sent in their solutions, also in verse, and were doubtless gratified to see their names and addresses in print and to win one of the prizes as, equally doubtless, were those who are also named and who contributed worthy efforts. The Ladies' Diary was not, however, merely light entertainment and, as in these issues, also included mathematical problems described as another form of enigma. This remarkable assemblage in its contemporary binding is given an added attraction by the presence in each volume of the bookplate of Matthew Flinders, the father of one of the world's foremost navigators.

12835 KENDALL, Edward Augustus, THE CRESTED WREN. London: printed for E. Newbery, 1799. 12mo is 6s, (136x90mm), vi,152p. with the half-title. Full-page engraved frontispiece, wood-engraved title vignette ('most probably by T[homas] Bewick'), and a number of small wood-engraved tailpiece vignettes. Very slightly soiled throughout and a small tear in H3 (with a light tape stain on the verso of the leaf from an earlier attempt at repair. Original quarter green vellum, paper back-label (partly lacking and very browned), marbled paper sides, very degraded at the edges but repaired (competently) and re-coloured (badly!) (Roscoe John Newbery and his successors J205) £200.00
Wanting the 4 pages of adverts called for is Roscoe, however given that this copy is in the original publisher's binding (in a style frequently used on Newbery imprints of the period) there is no evidence that these were ever present. For a discussion of Newbery's 'vellum manner' binding see Stuart Bennett's Trade bookbinding in the British Isles 1660-1800, and particularly illustration 3.45, where a similar binding to that on this copy though with a different patterned marbled paper.

15394 [LANGHORNE, John] THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THEODOSIUS AND CONSTANTIA, from their first acquaintance to the departure of Theodosius: with the letters which passed between them after Constantia had taken the veil. New Edition, London: printed by T. Bensley, for Vernor and Hood;... 1799. 8vo, (220x140mm), [4],xvi,290p. +2p. publisher's adverts, engraved frontispiece by Neagle after Thurston, some offset from the image onto the facing title and some slight spotting thereafter. Contemporary full tree-marbled calf, backstrip banded and tooled in gilt with green leather lettering piece, a little rubbed at the edges. Signatures of early owners' on the front free endleaf and title, the latter that of an M.M. Penny of Ambleside. £55.00
For a book which ran through several editions and from a popular contemporary writer, this edition is relatively rare, ESTC recording only 6 copies in the UK of which 3 are in the BL. Langhorne was born in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria and educated at Appleby Grammar School, his works were rather damned with faint praise by Alexander Chalmers (Works of the English poets, 1810) who wrote: 'although a scholar of high attainments, he has rarely brought learning to his aid. His mind was stored with remarks on men and manners, which he expressed in various and desultory modes, so as to give an air of novelty to every thing he wrote.'

Engraved writing book
15986 [LEEKEY, William?] THE YOUNG CLERKS ASSISTANT; or penmanship made easy, instructive and entertaining: being a compleat pocket-copy book, curiously engrav'd for the practice of youth in the art of writing. [Containing] A specimen of the various characters now principally us'd in printing & writing curiously engrav'd by the best hands. London: Printed for Richard Ware, at the Bible and Sun, Ludgate Hill, 1733. 8vo, (191x119mm), 15 leaves, engraved throughout and printed on the recto of the leaf only. The paper very lightly browned but overall a fine copy in modern binders' cloth. £625.00
A strange compilation which was perhaps also issued as part of a larger work; but, so far as we can ascertain, is also complete in itself as here presented. Ware (in common with other book/print-sellers of the 18th century) was given to using and re-using engraved plates under a variety of titles and formats. The present example commences with an allegorical engraved frontispiece with several lines of verse, engraved by George Bickham, an engraved general title (as detailed above), Directions for young practitioners by way of introduction, Directions for learners (3 leaves), The dedication to the young clerks of Great Britain, To the young ladies of Great-Britain, Second title (dated 1733 and detailed as above), The alphabet in the old English character, The alphabet in the Roman and Italic character, The alphabet in the round-hand and Italian, [Copperplate capitals] (2 leaves), and finally Minums in round-hand and Italian. All the plates carry engraved numbers in the head-fore corner and are exquisitely engraved.

14455 LEVET, Pierre Printer. A LEAF FROM ALEXANDER ANGLUS, DESTRUCTIORUM VITIORUM. Paris, Pierre Levet, 1497. Single leaf, 4to, (271x195mm), leaf I3, 56 lines, double column, black letter with some early marginal annotation. £45.00

A handsome specimen of early Parisian printing.

14456 LEVET, Pierre Printer. A LEAF FROM ALEXANDER ANGLUS, DESTRUCTIORUM VITIORUM. Paris, Pierre Levet, 1497. Single leaf, 4to, (271x195mm), leaf r3, 56 lines, double column, black letter with some early marginal annotation. £45.00
A handsome specimen of early Parisian printing.

16128 [LOCKHART, George.] A DIALOGUE TWIXT A BURGESS OF EDINBURGH, AND A GENTLEMAN LATELY ARRIVED IN SCOTLAND, concerning the Union, and behaviour of the Presbyterian ministers in that great affair. [drop-head title], [Edinburgh, 1713?] 12mo, (146x90mm), 15,[1 blank]p. browned throughout and this some very slight loss of text on the first leaf, shaved in the tail margin with slight loss from the catchwords. Preserved in modern binders' cloth covered envelope chemise. £125.00
An extremely rare Jacobite pamphlet attack on the consequences of the Union between England and Scotland. Although ESTC lists 8 copies of this book 6 are in the National Library of Scotland.

12850 LUCIAN of Samosta. OEUVRES DE LUCIAN DE SAMOSA te avthevr Grec. De nouueau traduites en Francois & illustrees d'annotation &c. de maximes politiques en marge, par I.B [J. Baudoin]. Paris: chez Iean Richer, rue S.Iean de Latran... [1613.] 4to, (246x175mm), [2 engraved title], [2 dedication], [2 Vie de Lvcian], [8 table],577, [20 index]p. collates: [*1] á2 é4 A-7I4. The engraved title (no letterpress title) with 10 compartmented images surrounding the lettering. The title partly soiled and with two holes, one in the head margin, another with some loss from one of the images and some fragmentary loss from the fore-edge margin (just crossing the plate line). The first and last few leaves slightly damp stained in the fore and tail margins and with margins tears (with loss) in the fore-margin of the final three text leaves and rear blank. Contemporary limp vellum, soiled, one vellum fore-edge tie and the stub of another still present. A gift inscription (dated 1902) from H. Harrison to Abbe L Roller on the he turn in of the front cover, and another later signature (in ball-point pen for God's sake!) on the fore-edge turn in, and the bookplate of J.R. Nicholas Ross. £575.00

16820 LYNDE, Humphrey VIA TUTA: THE SAFE WAY. Leading all Christians, by the
testimonies, and confessions of our best learned adversaries, to the true, ancient, and Catholique faith, now professed in the Church of England. London; printed by G.M. [G. Miller] for Robert Milbourne..., 1628. 12mo, [24],323,[1]p. one leaf (L7) supplied in facsimile and a small paper repair to the fore margin of the title leaf. Sometime rebacked in near contemporary calf, floral ornament with the initials of a previous owner 'T F' in the centre of both the front and rear covers. £200.00

16978 MANASSEH, [Ben Joseph] Ben Israel. MANASSAE ORATIO, ESDRAE LIB. III & IV. Cum indice bibliorum triplici. Coloniae: Jacobum Naulaeum, 1678. 24mo, (115x57mm), 64,[96]p. A small piece cut from the title with slight textual loss from the verso. Bound with: NOVUM TESTAMENTUM Domini Nostri Jesu Christi . Vulgate editionis juxta exempla Vaticanum anni 1592. Coloniae: Jacobum Naulaeum, 1679. 24mo, (115x57mm), 398,[18]p. Engraved title. Contemporary vellum. £375.00
A rare copy of the first-named title which we are unable to locate in any library in the British Isles. The author established the first Hebrew Press in Amsterdam but is perhaps best known for his efforts to obtain the readmission of Jews into England during the Commonwealth. Copac records only the National Library of Scotland and Trinity College Dublin copies of the New Testament, from the same printing house as the Manasseh, which are here bound together.

10302 MERVILLE, Michel.Guyot. De. HISTOIRE LITTERAIRE DE L'EUROPE: contenant l'extrait des meilleurs livres, en catalogue choisi des ouvrages nouveaux; les nouvelles les plus intéressantes de a République des lettres, & les pièces fugitives les plus curieuses. 6 Volumes, La Haye: chez M.G. De Merville, 1726-7. 8vo, (165x105mm), paper fault with minor loss in R5 of volume 1, some slight browning here and there, but generally a clean, crisp, unpressed copy, uncut and occasionally unopened, in contemporary quarter cerise calf, old Dutch pattern marbled paper boards, rubbed, some slight fading of the backstrips. Ms. note : Luss Library No.56 on the general title of each volume and small ms label carrying the book number on the backstrips of 5 of the 6 volumes. £185.00
Complete in 6 volumes (as shown by the Bibliothèque Nationale catalogue). Published monthly and running from January 1726 to December 1727, with 360 to 370 pages per volume, together with prelims and indices. A separate title is present for each month (other than the first month in each volume) with a general title to each volume printed in red and black. The contents range from lengthy extracts from contemporary works, to brief surveys of new publications arranged under country and town of publication.

12822 NELSON, John. AN EXTRACT OF JOHN NELSON'S JOURNAL; being an account of God's dealing with his soul from his youth to the forty-second year of his age, and his working by him: likewise the oppressions he met with people of defferent [sic] denominations. [Abridged by John Wesley]. Leeds: printed by J[ames]. Bowling, in Boar-Lane, 1773. 12mo, (173x105mm), iv,140p. title page browned and torn horizontally, with two pieces missing resulting in some loss from four of the five lines of quotation thereon, mounted on toned Japanese tissue, some browning thereafter, most noticeably to the margins. Signature of May Johnson [of] Shipston, at the head of the title. Rebound in modern boards using Ruscombe Mill drab-olive archival cover paper. £115.00
A rare Methodist title of which ESTC (1998) records only a single copy (in NA) of this edition of a relatively early Leeds printing. Priced (below the imprint) at one shilling.

Newcastle printing.
9844 NEWCASTLE POCKET BOOK. THE NEWCASTLE POCKET-BOOK: OR GENTLEMAN AND LADY'S COMPLEAT JOURNAL FOR THE YEAR MDCCVII [sic actually 1767]. Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed by I Thompson, and sold by W. Charnley… [1766]. 8vo in 4s, (160x100mm), [10], [63], [44]p. the final 2 leaves folding. Lacking at least one leaf of printed introductory matter and containing only 63 diary pages - lacking all before April 18 & several thereafter. The diary leaves unused apart from one excised entry. Original wallet binding in sheep, rubbed but sound, previous owner's signatures on the front pastedown endleaf. £265.00
Exceedingly rare, we can locate no entry under this title in any of the usual places. Thompson did print a Newcastle Memorandum-Book for Thomas Slack which first appeared in 1754, and several editions under that title are in the Newcastle City Library, while ESTC records a couple of other editions. The contents include a chronological list of remarkable occurrences from October 1765 to November 1766; a list of fairs in the six North of England counties and the principal fairs in Scotland; a table of roads; list of carriers, and a list of the horse races in the North and Newmarket for 1765 with what appears to be a list of all placed horses up to eight runners. The diary pages have daily spaces (a week to view) for memoranda and appointments on the recto leaf with accounts of cash (column ruled) on the facing verso.

17061 PARIS, Matthew. [OPERA] MATTHAEI PARIS MONACHI ALBANENSIS ANGLI, HISTORIA MAJOR. Juxta exemplar Londinense 1571, verbatim recusa, Et cum Rogeri Wendoveri, Willielmi Rishangerei, authorisque majori minorique historiis chronicisque Mss... London: Richard Hodgkinson for Cornelius Bee & Laurence Sadler, 1640. Folio, (350x227mm), [50],1009,[125],310,[14]p. frontispiece portrait engraved by T. Cecill, the seperate part title to Vitae Duorum Offarum present and carring the imprint of Miles Flesher as printer, dated 1639, paper reapir to the final leraf (without loss) and some slightly soiling of the first (licence) and final leaf. Contemporary, or near-contemporary, calf, the joints and corner tips sometime repaired, some slight scratching of the leather surface and some wear to the edges, armorial bookplate of Victor Albert George Charles Villiers, Early of Jersey; Osterley Park. £325.00
Based on an earlier work by Roger of Wendover and also known as Flores historiarum, and probably based on an earlier St Albans chronicle, this new edition which appeared in 1640 was evidently a direct result of Matthew Parker's work. Indeed it was originally intended to be a mere reprint of Parker's edition, and its editor, Dr William Wats, who was chaplain to Prince Rupert, did not begin work on it until the text up to the annal for 1188 had been printed off. Wats's edition, though far from perfect, was a definite advance on Parker's. It was reissued twice (Paris, 1644; London, 1684), and was not superseded until Luard undertook in 1869 to re-edit the whole of the Chronica Majora for the Rolls Series. (Vaughan, Matthew Paris).

9853 PENN, John. A TIMELY APPEAL TO THE COMMON SENSE OF THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN IN GENERAL, and of the Inhabitants of Buckinghamshire in particular, on the present state of affairs; with references to the opinions of most of the British and French philosophers of the present century,
[with] FURTHER THOUGHTS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF PUBLIC OPINION; being a continuation of A Timely Appeal… 2 volumes in 1, London (1) Printed for J. Hatchard… (2) Printed for J. Hatchard… by W. Bulmer, 1798-1800. 8vo interleaved to 4to, (220x115 to 220x170mm.), 120; xii,185,[1].viip. Occasional faint spotting. Contemporary sprinkled calf, lately rebacked and the corners and edges expertly repaired. Bookplate. (Isaac 'Checklist' in William Bulmer the fine printer in context, 403x noting the second part only as printed by Bulmer) £450.00
Surely the author's copy and perhaps returned from a friend who gave up on proof-reading it at page 42. The interleaving paper is of at least two varieties of stock, one watermarked 1800 and is largely unused. However, there are extensive textual corrections and comments up to page 42, the comments are frequently quite extensive or interrogatory, indeed one is forced to the conclusion that so extensive and frequent are the suggested alterations and improvements that the sadly unknown 'editor' gave up after 42 pages. Neither part is particularly common, ESTC (1998) recording only 2 copies of the continuation in the UK.

Plantin printing.
2277 PLANTIN PRESS. BREVIARIVM ROMANVM ex decreto Sacrosancti Concilij Tridentini restitutum, Pii V. Pont, Max. iussu editum, et Clementis VIII. primum, nunc denuo Vrbani PP.VIII. auctoritate recognitum. In quo omnia suis locis ad longum posita sunt, pro maiori recitantium commoditate. Pars Avtvmnalis. Antwerpiae: Ex Officina Plantiniana Balthasaris Moreti, 1684. 12mo, (159x102mm), [18],536,cclvii,[3]p. 3 engraved plates, title in red and black with Papal crown vignette, the text set double-column and printed in red and black with occasional decorated initials and ornamental tailpieces, several printed in red. Title leaf slightly soiled and some occasional finger-soiling thereafter, faint stain in the head and tail of several leaves without detracting from the overall appearance. Early owner's annotations mainly of additions to to the Calendar pages. Contemporary black ecclesiastical calf, head and tail of the backstrip worn. £95.00
The slight loss of leather from the tail of the backstrip reveals that a piece (or fragment) of written vellum has been used in the construction of the binding.

13417 POLITICAL MERRIMENT. POLITICAL MERRIMENT: OR, TRUTHS TOLD TO SOME TUNE. London: printed for A. Boulter, without Temple Bar, 1715. 12mo, (158x97mm), [4],56p. some spotting. Modern binders' paper covered hardback boards, Mentmore Library stamp on the title. £90.00
The first half only of part 3 with the separate title page present. ESTC records a number of copies most of which are incomplete to a greater or lesser degree. A collection of political ballads including a 'new song' on The South-Sea Trade, a satire against the joint-stock companies whose fraudulent practises led, a few years later, to the South Sea Bubble.

Early marbled paper endleaves.
1841 [QUINET, Toussaint] RECVIEL GENERAL DES ESTATS TENVS EN FRANCE. Sous les Rois, Charles VI, Charles VIII, Charles IX, Henry III, & Louis XIII. [Part 2 with drop-head title:] Remonstrance aux Trois Estats de France qui Doiuent Assembler a Blois. Paris: au Palais, 1651. 4to, (225x167mm), [8],365,290p. the final page of the first part misprinted as 265, some browning in the tail margin of f1 of part 2. A number of attractive woodcut initial letters, including 2 heightened by hand in red, head- and tail-pieces. Contemporary marbled calf, the backstrip in six compartments with raised bands, gilt tooled and lettered direct, head and tail of the backstrip and tail corners worn, the pastedowns of handsome early marbled paper. £200.00
We cannot locate copies of this book in either the BLGC or Bodleian catalogues, NUC records only seven copies. An early example of the use of marbled paper for end-leaves, the practice of using marbled paper for the pastedowns only (with no free end-leaf) predominated until at least the 1670s and such was the frequent scarcity of the material that it is not uncommon to field the paper pieced together from two or more fragments, even in bindings of some quality. On this occasion, however, both endleaves are of one piece; in this instance a tightly combed swirl pattern containing elements of the patterns we would now regard as Nonpareil and Old Dutch.

A leaf from one of the greatest books of the incunable period.
16537 SCHEDEL, Hartmann. A SINGLE LEAF FROM LIBER CHRONICARUM. [THE NUREMBURG CHRONICLE]. Nuremburg: Anton Koberger, 1493. Folio, (405x275mm), folio cxxvii, 62 lines in black letter type with 6 woodcut portraits of St Cristina, Julianus, Saturninus, Mennamiles, Victor, and Susanna on the verso and 5 woodcut portaits of Constantius, Galerius, Senerus & Maximianus, Licinius, and Maxentius on the recto. Slightly soiled, a small tear in the margin at the head/spine corner and a piece of later paper overlaid in the margin, perhaps to stiffen the rather thin paper at that point. £200.00
A fine leaf from the first edition of what is surely one of the greatest of early printed books. The woodcuts were done by Michael Wohlgemuth and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff.

15112 SCHICKARDI, Wilhelmi. HOROLOGIVM HEBRAEUM, sive Consilium, quomodo sancta lingua spacio xxiv. horarum ab aliquot Collegis sufficienter apprehendi queat... Franekeræ: imprinsis Johannis Dhuiringh ... typus Idzardi Alberti typographi, 1651. 8vo, (155x93mm), [9],117p. printed in Roman, Italic and Hebrew type, a faint stain in the fore - head are throughout, but generally a very acceptable copy in a contemporary sprinkled calf wallet binding as discussed in detail below. £700.00
The binding on this early Hebrew – Latin grammar is of considerable interest in its own right. It is a variation of a wallet binding but without the flap which usually is provided to tuck in. The text block is sewn (through four sewing stations) on two leather thongs which are set into the boards. However, the tail thong at one hinge has broken. Since this book 'starts at the back' – as it were, what would normally be the rear fore edge turn-in is unglued (the head and tail turns-in are pasted down) and is left as a flap that extends for the full depth and almost the full height of the text block. The front (though really one should write rear) flap is of a similar size and has a semi-circular thumb notch cut out of the leather in the centre. The rear covering is pasted down onto the board, while the front is left free and the board interior is coloured red. Thus this construction provides a useful space for keeping [thin] things in. A simple two-line blind ruled frame ornaments both the front and rear covers which are in remarkably good state, and the edges of the text block are sprinkled with red pigment. The edges are slightly rubbed, the rear tail edge being slightly worn, and there is a small fragment missing from the tail of the backstrip. Such bookbinding reference material has we have been able to examine offers no parallels to this binding; one can but speculate that it is best described as a wallet binding and was perhaps intended for the use of students.

14461 SCHOTTEN, Martin Printer. A LEAF FROM von PASSAU, DIE VIERUNDZWANZIG ALTEN ORDER DER GOLDINTRON... Strasbourg [Strassburg]: Martin Schotten, 1483. Single leaf, folio, 291x182mm), unsigned leaf, 40 lines with space left for a rubricated initial on the recto, black letter. Slightly browned. £65.00

Eton printing.
17880 SELECTA. SELECTA EX M.T. CICERO, Tit. Livio, Corn. Tacito, M. Velleio, Paterculo, C. Plinio. In usum Regiae Scholae Etonensis. Edition Altera. Etonae: typis Jos. Pote, veneunt etiam Londini apud Thomam Pote, 1759. 8vo, (202x125mm), [4],366p. +2p adverts, the final verso number 368. Engraved vignette on the title, slight damage to the extreme head-fore corner of the last few leaves. Contemporary reversed calf, blind tooled centre panel with corner ornaments within a two-line binder frame border, corners worn, joints extreme worn and the backstrip rather degraded; previous owner's signature: J. Theakston, dated 1761 on the front free endleaf and 1767/8 on the half-title, and with his initials on the title. £115.00
A rare Eton-printed classical primer, Estc locating only 2 copies.

11946 SHAKESPEARE, William. THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE. Revised by George Steevens. No.I. Much ado about nothing.[&] Richard III. London: printed by W. Bulmer for John and Josiah Boydell,... 1791. Folio, (443x334mm), [6],98; [2 blank], 143p. lacks the plates, some browning, occasionally heavily so particularly the last few leaves. Untrimmed in original royal blue paper-covered boards, printed front label backstrip lacking and rather worn and contained in a modern cloth solander case. (Isaac 'Checklist' in William Bulmer the fine printer in context, 474 part) £225.00
Sadly without the plates to this part of Boydell's monumental undertaking to produce an edition of the world's greatest playright in a manner that befitted the nation of his birth. However, let us not be too picky, here is a copy of the first part of that great undertaking in the original style of publication and as such exceedingly rare.

11947 SHAKESPEARE, William. THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE: Merry wives of Windsor [and] Titus Andronicus. Revised by George Steevens. London: printed by W. Bulmer for John Boydell, [1794?] Folio, (413x315mm), [4],106; [4],101p. presumably lacking a part title, 5 engraved plates after Smirke (3), Woodforde, and Kirk, some spotting, several leaves heavily so. Modern half calf, marbled paper sides, bookplate. £700.00
Handsome folio editions from the Boydell Shakespeare, the heavy spotting of several leaves is mainly confined to the fore- and head-margins and while not, bye-and-large, affecting the printed area does detract from the overall impression of this beautifully printed edition.

11547 SKRINE, Henry. THREE SUCCESSIVE TOURS IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND, AND GREAT PART OF SCOTLAND. Interspersed with descriptions of the scenes they presented, and occasional observations on the state of society, and manners and customs of the people. London: printed by W. Bulmer and Co. and sold by P. Elmsley, 1795. 4to, (294x230mm), 8,xxvii,164p. (wanting the divisonal titles to the first two tours), hand-coloured engraved map, some slight spotting in the margins of the text leaves. Contemporary half calf, backstrip repaired with fragments lacking and the corner tips worn, however, a better copy than it sounds. (Bicknell Picturesque scenery of the Lake District 33.1; Isaac William Bulmer, the fine printer in context 500) £275.00
A generously margined copy of an uncommon tour book.

9870 [SLACK, Thomas]. THE BANKER'S SURE GUIDE: or, monied man's assistant. In three parts, viz. containing I. Tables of interest… II. Tables of discount… III. Sundry tables… To which is prefixed, by way of introduction, a new and comprehensive treatise on decimals… First edition. London: printed for J. Richardson, in Pater-Noster-Row, 1762. 16mo in 8s, (117x82mm), first gatherings misbound thus: [2], xvii-[xxviii], [3-4], (i-)xvi, 334 ( ie 335),[1]p. a small red ink stain in the head-fore corner from O2 to the end, separate sub-titles to each part present. Contemporary sheep, backstrip in 5 compartments, banded and with a red leather label, a little rubbed. Early owner's signature: James Maxwell [of] Kirkconnell on the verso of the front blank, and repeated on the title with the date of 1770. Bookplate. (ESTC 164337 recording only 5 copies) £225.00
Thomas Slack, the Newcastle bookseller, is perhaps less well known as a writer than his wife, the grammarian Ann Fisher, doubtless due to his writing this title (which ran to several editions) and also The British negotiator under a pseudonym. Peter & Ruth Wallis (&c) in Mathematical Tradition in the North of England p30-31, note that his books `are important in illustrating the uses of mathematics in business studies, as different from applications to the usual physical or environmental sciences.'

Elzevir printing.
14835 SLEIDANUS, Johannes. I. SLEIDANI DE QUATUOR SUMMIS IMPERIIS. Libri tres: postrema editione hac accurate recogniti. Amsterdam: Daniel Elzevir, 1667. Cr.8vo, (115x62mm), 237,[25]p. Engraved title, some slight loss from the head and tail margins, just touching the engraved surface at the head. Contemporary calf, rebacked. £95.00
An extremely popular and important Reformation text which, in tracing the history of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires, posited a view of a linear progression of history.

13458 [SWIFT, Jonathan.] TRAVELS INTO SEVERAL REMOTE NATIONS OF THE WORLD. In four parts. By Lemuel Gulliver. Fifth edition, corrected. London: printed for Charles Bathurst, at the Cross-Keys in Fleet-Street, 1747. 8vo, (165x106mm), [10],296p. 6 engraved maps, title in red and black and slightly browned and occasionally slightly spotted throughout. Rebound in hardback boards covered with grey Ingres paper. £250.00

15995 TANNER, John. ANGELUS BRITANNICUS: AN EPHEMERIS FOR THE YEAR OF OUR REDEMPTION 1677. Being the first after the bissextile of leap-year and from the creation of the world, 5626. With astrological observations... London: printed by E. Horton, for the Company of Stationers, 1677. 8vo, (149x95mm), [48]p printed in red and black with a woodcut of the astrological signs and their related human body part on the verso of the title. Original title-wrapper, with some slight loss of paper at the spine. Loosely preserved in a modern binders' cloth envelope chemise. (Capp Astrology & the popular press p381) £275.00
Uncommon, ESTC records only 8 UK and 4 NA copies. A reasonably early example of Tanner's almanac which he commenced in 1657; however, by this time many of the dates of Civil Wars battles and other reminders of the Commonwealth, included because of his pronounced republican beliefs, have been removed from the contents.

12837 VERTOT, Abbe De. THE REVOLUTIONS OF PORTUGAL. Written in French... done into English from the last French edition [by G. Roussillon]. London: printed for William Chetwood, at Cato's Head, ... 1721. 8vo in 4s, (190x117mm), (iii-)xvi,138,[11]p. +3p bookseller's adverts. Engraved frontispiece, some slight spotting and occasional marginal scoring and textual underscoring in pencil. Later 18th century sprinkled marbled calf, later rebacked preserving the earlier lettering pieces. £150.00

Vellum Binding.
17017 [VIEXMONT, Claude De & Pedro De SOTO.] METHODIS CONFESSIONUS, hoc est, ars sive ratio, &c. bevis quaedam via confitendi, in qua peccata & eorum remedia plenissime continentur. Ad haec XII. articulorum fidei cum pia, tumerudita explanatio. [Antwerp] Antverpiae : in audibus Ioan Steelfij, 1556. cr.8vo, (88x70mm), 272 leaves, printer's device on the title, paper repairs to the first six leaves with minor textual loss to three, and a small worn trail in the head of the final three leaves. Contemporary (?original) full vellum, blind tooled roll within a three line frame on the covers and with a diagonal blind fillet in the spine compartments, painted red vellum lettering piece (blank) on the backstrip, the covers slightly distorted. £375.00
A rare Antwerp printing of this popular schoolbook for teaching Latin grammar through confession and penitential prayer. First published in Paris in 1531 for students of the College of Navarre, the book appeared under several variations of the title and was probably first revised by Pedro de Soto (probably the Jesuit of the same name) at the time of a Venice edition of 1545. A number of editions appeared in France, Germany, Italy and the Low Countries in the next half-century; none of them now in any way common, as befits a schoolbook that should have worn out through continual use. Despite the faults noted above, the internal condition on the whole is clean and bright and the manner of binding worthy of attention. The semi-stiff vellum binding has slightly distorted with time (or storage conditions) but not unduly so and is attractively ornamented with a blind tooled frame on the front and rear covers, vellum ties at the fore-edge have however, been lost. Is it impossible that this is an early example of a 'publisher's' binding? Vellum would make an excellent and hard-wearing material for a book designed for frequent, and perhaps rough, handling. Another point leading us towards this possibility is the cost-conscious construction of the binding which is composed of two pieces of vellum, one covering the front board and extending around the spine and about a quarter of the way across the rear board, where it overlays another piece of slightly different coloured vellum. However, the tooling is unbroken leaving us to suspect that this was as originally bound. An interesting little book we submit.

14249 XENOPHON. XENOPHONTOS APOMNEMONEUMATON BIBLIA 4. = Xenophontis memorabilium Socratis dictorum libri IVm Græce & Latine. Cum notis integris Ernesti, aliorum selectis; nunc variis etiam novis observationibus adaucti & illustrati. Huic editioni accedunt capitum, verborum & phrasium indices locupletissimi. (The first four words and the numeral above being transliterated from the Greek) Oxonii [Oxford], E Theatro Sheldoniano, imprensis Jacobi Fletcher... 1741. 8vo in 4s, (195x1223mm), [8],349,[19]p. engraved frontispiece portrait by M Burg, title page in red and black; a tear in the foremargin of N1 (without loss), otherwise internally a clean and crisp copy. Contemporary calf, rubbed, split at the joints and worn at the corner tips, a small piece of leather inlaid, by way of repair, on the front cover, but a much better copy than it sounds! (Morrison, Bibliography of editions, translations, and commentary on Xenophon's Socratic writings 502). £195.00
The first edition of B. Simpson's edition of Zehonophon's Memorabilia, including the 'apology,' and with J. Leunclavius' Latin translation. The Greek text is printed in the top half of the page in what, to this cataloguer's untutored eye, appears to be the Fell Type Double Pica Greek capitals and Great Primer Greek No 1; being Robert Granjon's Paragon Greek cut for Plantin in 1565, with additions and replacements cut for John Fell by De Walpergen; together with one of the three-line Pica Capitals used as an initial letter at the start of Liber primus. (Morison, `Fell types' pp. 98-103, 108) The Latin translation is printed below the Greek, there are two attractive wood-engraved head- and tail-pieces, and the final verso carries a list of publisher's titles.