Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

FOLIO SOCIETY (publisher). - Edward GIBBONS. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: The Folio Society, 1997. 8 vols., 8vo (246 x 146mm.) Numerous illustrations. Original parchment covers, two slip-cases. - And approximately fifty-five further volumes published by the Folio Society (including George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', 1984, 8vo) (a quantity).

TOPOGRAPHY. - Gideon Algernon MANTELL. A Day's Ramble in and About the Ancient Town of Lewes. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1846. First edition, 8vo (173 x 103mm.) Frontispiece, several illustrations in text, 1p. list of Mantell's works to rear. (Spotting to preliminaries, occasional thereafter.) Original brown cloth blind-stamped with laurel gilt design to upper cover, gilt lettering to spine. - And thirteen further volumes of topographical interest (including Richard Crisp's 'Richmond and its Inhabitants', 1866, 8vo) (14).

AESOP. - Samuel CROXALL. Fables of Aesop and Others, translated into English. London: J.F. and C. Rivington et al, [1789.] Fourteenth edition, 8vo (164 x 99mm.) Numerous engraved illustrations in the text, 5pp. index to rear. (Paper repair to title, occasional spotting, lacking blanks.) 19th century blue buckram covers (endpapers replaced, slight fading). - And sixteen further literary volumes (including Fontaine's 'Fables', 1757, 8vo) (17).

BINDINGS. - Arthur QUILLER-COUCH (editor). The Oxford Book of Ballads. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1927. 8vo (162 x 96mm.) (Browning to front and rear blanks.) Contemporary green morocco bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, two rectangular gilt borders with corner-pieces, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, g.e., gilt turn-ins (mark to upper cover), marbled paper-covered slipcase (lightly rubbed). - And three further volumes (including Thomas Barnes's 'Proceedings at the Opening of Farnworth Park', 1865, 8vo, and two hand-written account books from circa 1820's) (4).

CATECHISM. - John WHITLOCK (publisher). The Grounds and Principles of Religion… according to the Advice of the Assembly of Divines Sitting at Westminster. London: John Whitlock, 1693. 12mo (144 x 79mm.) (Browning, some damp-staining, name inscribed to initial blank.) Contemporary panelled calf, blind-tooled (surface wear to lower cover). Note: scarce. Provenance: Robert Milne-Crewe (bookplate to the front pastedown); L.E. Foxell (pencil inscribed to front pastedown). - And three further volumes (including 'The Book of Common Prayer', 1807, 8vo) (4).

FLORIAN, Jean-Pierre Claris de. Oeuvres de Florian. Paris: Didot L'ainé, 1786-1811. 24 vols., mixed editions, 12mo (124 x 70mm.) 123 engraved portraits and plates. (Browning, occasional spotting, worm-damage to volume 20, text affected, marginal damp-staining in volume 5, occasional corner creasing.) Contemporary mottled calf, gilt borders, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines, g.e. (front board of volume 6 detached, loss to lower spine of volume 5, rubbing to spine ends, lacking four lettering pieces). Provenance: Cabel Rooper (ink name inscribed to all half-titles). - And a further volume by Florian (25).

WADDINGTON, George. A Visit to Greece in 1823 and 1824. London: John Murray, 1825. Second edition, 8vo (184 x 111mm.) 2 folding maps. (Browning, occasional spotting.) Contemporary diced calf, gilt lettering to spine (rubbing to extremities, wear to top of spine).

COMMON PRAYER, In English. The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments. Oxford: Clarendon Press, W. Jackson and A. Hamilton, 1786. Frontispiece of King George II, 49 engraved plates, including the Psalms of David. (Browning, minor soiling, some tears from B10-C4 with some loss to C2 and D8, text affected, E6-E8 loose.) [Bound with:] A Companion to the Altar: shewing the Nature and Necessity of a Sacramental Preparation. London: by Assignment from Beecroft for Scatcherd and Whittaker, [circa 1780.] (Browning.) [Bound with:] The Whole Book of Psalms collected into English metre. Oxford: Clarendon press, W. Jackson and A. Hamilton, 1788. (Browning.) [Bound with:] A New Version of the Psalms of David. London: Mary Harrison, 1785. (Browning, occasional spotting.) 12mo (158 x 94mm.) Original calf (lower cover detached, loss to spine ends). Note: collates A-O12, A-B12, A-D12, A-H12.

BIBLE, In English. The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New; Newly Translated out of the Originall Tongues and with the former translations diligently compared. London: Robert Barker, 1673. NT with separate title. (Browning, occasional spotting, stamp to title-page and paper repair to verso.) [Bound with:] The Whole Book of Psalms. London: John Bill, 1682. (Heavily browned title and several leaves thereafter). 12mo (154 x 87mm.) Contemporary calf, gilt borders and initials in gilt to upper cover (rubbing, surface loss to lower cover, lacking clasps). Provenance: I.T.R. (initials to upper cover). [Herbert 713].

PFOCHEN, Sebastian. Diatribe de Linguae Graecae Novi Testamenti Puritate. Amsterdam: Jan Jansson, 1629. 12mo (144 x 78mm.) Publisher's device to title, decorative initials and headpieces, two blanks to front and rear. (Insect damage with some loss to blank leaves and title and some loss from H10 to last printed leaf I4, text unaffected, damp-staining from *1 to A5.) Original vellum (minor loss to upper cover, soiling). Note: rare. Jan Jansson is a Dutch publisher, better known for his maps. Provenance: Johannes Churly (ink inscribed to initial blank); Robert Hall (ink inscribed to second blank and first rear blank). - And one further volume (John Hoddesdon's 'Tho. Mori. Vita & Exitus: or, the History of Thomas More', 1652, 8vo) (2).

SHAKESPEARE, William. The History of Sir John Oldcastle, the Good Lord Cobham. London: R.Walker, 1734. Frontispiece. (Browning, minor soiling.) [Bound with:] The Tragedy of Locrine, the Eldest Son of King Brutus. London: R.Walker, 1734. Frontispiece. (Lacking pp. 25-26, browning, minor soiling.) [Bound with:] The Life of King Henry V. London: R.Walker, 1735. Frontispiece. (Browning, minor soiling.) [Bound with:] Timon of Athens, a Tragedy. London: R. Walker, 1735. Frontispiece. (Browning, minor soiling.) [Bound with:] The Famous History of the Life of King Henry VIII. London: R. Walker, 1734. Frontispiece. (Minor soiling.) The Merchant of Venice. London: R. Walker, 1735. Frontispiece. (Browning, minor soiling.) 12mo (159 x 91mm.) Contemporary calf (lacking lettering piece to the spine, loss to top of spine, rubbing). Note: 'The History of Sir John Oldcastle' and 'The Tragedy of Locrine' did not survive their attribution to Shakespeare. The former was partly written by Michael Drayton, while the authorship of the latter is still contested. Provenance: Mary Price (name inscribed verso frontispiece of 'King Henry VIII'); L.E. Foxell (pencil inscribed verso frontispiece of 'History of Sir John Oldcastle'.

THEOLOGY. - William BEVERIDGE. The Great Necessity and Advantage of Publick Prayer. London: R. Smith, 1708. 8vo (184 x 112mm.) Dedication, portrait frontispiece, additional title, 6pp. catalogue of books to rear. (Offsetting of dedication, marginal damp-staining to some leaves and to front pastedown, browning.) Original panelled calf, black morocco lettering piece to spine (rubbing to extremities, minor loss to spine). Provenance: Arthur B. Evans (bookplate to the front pastedown). - And six related volumes (including 'Liturgia, Seu Liber Precum Communium', 1681, 8vo) (7).

SPENSER, Edmund. The Works. London: Edward Moxon, 1852. 8vo (234 x 148mm.) Frontispiece of Spenser, additional title, glossarial index. (Spotting to preliminaries.) Near contemporary blue half-morocco, gilt lettering to spine, g.e. (slight fading to leather). - And twenty-three further literary volumes (including 'The Ladies' Monthly Museum or, Polite Repository of Amusement and Instruction', 1814, 8vo) (24).

DULAC, Edmund (illustrator). Edward FITZGERALD (translator). The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1909.] Printed from the second edition, 4to (277 x 117mm.) 20 tipped-in colour plates by Dulac, tissue-guards. (Mild toning.) Original cream buckram, gilt decoration to upper cover (slight browning to spine and boards). - And four further illustrated volumes (including 'San Francesco d'Assisi nel Poema di Dante e negli affreschi di Giotto', [1905], 4to) (5).

BINDINGS. - PLUTARCH. Plutarch's Lives, translated from the Original Greek… by John and William Langhorne. London: for C. & J. Rivington et al., 1826. 6 vols., fourth edition, 8vo (214 x 128mm.) Portrait frontispiece. (Occasional light spotting, browning to rear leaves of volume 1.) Later red half-morocco, black and brown morocco lettering pieces to the spines (some fading to spines). Provenance: A.R. Turner (bookplates to the front pastedowns). - And twenty-six furtherbound volumes (including J. Gardner Wilkinson's 'The Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians', 3 vols., 1878, 8vo) (32).

ROWE, Henry. Fables in Verse. London: J.J. Stockdale, 1810. 8vo (229 x 133mm.) Wood-engraved frontispiece, 29 wood-engraved plates. (Mild toning, lacking publisher's advertisements to rear.) Contemporary green half-morocco, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (rubbing to extremities, and to covers). - And sixteen further miscellaneous volumes (including George Anson's 'Voyage Round the World', 1759, 12mo) (17).

IRELAND, Samuel. A Picturesque Tour Through Holland, Brabant, and Part of France, made in the Autumn of 1789. London: for T. Egerton, et al., 1796. 2 vols., second edition, 8vo (224 x 148mm.) 48 aquatint plates, 2 additional titles, 13pp. 'List of artists' to rear of volume 1, and 11p. list to rear of volume 2. (Some spotting to front and rear leaves, heavy browning to some margins, offsetting, additional titles trimmed.) Contemporary mottled calf, red and green morocco lettering pieces to the spines (rubbing to extremities, some loss to the green lettering pieces).

HEMINGWAY, Joseph. History of the City of Chester, from its Foundation to the Present Time. Chester: J. Fletcher, 1831. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (226 x 135mm.) 28 engraved plates, 4 folding, 4pp. index. (Some offsetting to titles, many uncut leaves, moderate spotting to plates, occasional browning, a tear to margin of 1 plate.) Original green cloth, paper label to spine (rebacked, minor rubbing). Provenance: Thomas Griffith (bookplates to front pastedowns, name in ink to upper covers).

MANUSCRIPT. [A hand-written account of a voyage to Sydney on the steam packet Wilmot, by R.F.M. Kebby. N.p: 1839-1840.] 13pp. manuscript, 8vo (252 x 198mm.) Unnumbered pages in a legible hand noting in diary form the events of a 118 day voyage on the 'Wilmot' from Gravesend to Sydney, 36 blank leaves to rear. (Slight browning.) Original half-calf (some loss to spine, rubbing to extremities). Note: Kebby describes the sense of life on a long voyage in the early days of hybrid steamships, where weather is still so important and, after two weeks ('waiting for a fair wind') and 'prayers and a sermon in the cuddy' they finally lose sight of land but rations have already been given out ('R.K broke a front tooth by eating a hard biscuit'). While the weather is a preoccupation, Kebby also notes domestic incident as the travellers try to fill the time 'plenty of employment in drying the bedding' but boredom overcomes the Roberts children while the adults drink 'too much Grog' and start rows 'a German woman servant became so refractory by drinking spirits that her master Mr. Games obtained the captains order to place her in the black hole, where she remained about two hours'. A shark and 'several albatrosses' are caught, locusts blow in from the African coast, we learn why the speed of ships is measured in knots and of the 'barbarous and absurd' practice of shaving any passengers who have not 'done homage' to Neptune when they pass the equator. Thankfully, although with much annoyance to the sailors, Captain Miller outlawed this practice and, finally, on 26th January 1840, they anchor in Sydney.