Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[HARGRAVES, Jennings.] Phallism: A Description of the Worship of Lingam-Yoni… with an Account of Ancient & Modern Crosses Particularly of the Crux Ansata. London: Privately Printed, 1899. 8vo (180 x 120mm.) (Toning, occasional light spotting, lacking blanks.) Mid-20th century beige half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced). Provenance: Richard Brandt (bookplate to front pastedown and stamp to title-page). - And a further twenty-three volumes of French literature (including the 'Oeuvres Complètes de Ronsard', 1923-1924, 7 vols., 8vo) (24).

THATCHER, Margaret. The Path to Power. London: HarperCollins, 1995. Deluxe edition signed by Margaret Thatcher, 8vo (233 x 149mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations, signed in blue ink on a paper label mounted to the half-title. (Slight toning.) Original white cloth-backed over blue cloth (slight abrasion to the titling on the spine), slipcase. - And a further deluxe edition by Margaret Thatcher ('The Downing Street Years', 1993, 8vo) (2).

JOHNSON, Boris. The Churchill Factor. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2014. First edition, first impression, signed by the author, 8vo (233 x 148mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original black cloth, dust-jacket (slight sunning to upper panel). - And a further five political biographies, all signed (including Harold Wilson's 'A Prime Minister on Prime Ministers', 1977, 4to, and Edward Heath's 'The Course of My Life', 1998, 8vo) (6).

JOHNSON, Boris. The Churchill Factor. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2014. First edition, signed by the author on the half-title, 8vo (234 x 149mm.) (Mild toning.) Original black cloth, dust-jacket. Note: includes a photocopy of a photograph of the author at the event where the book was signed. - And a further six volumes of signed books (including Peter Mayle's 'A Year in Provence' signed by both author and the illustrator, 1989, 4to, and 'Glyndebourne, a Celebration' containing the signatures of, among others, Jane Glover and Peter Hall, 1984, 8vo) (7).

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes. London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1911. First edition, 16mo (138 x 100mm.) Half-title, frontispiece, 26 colour plates. (Frontispiece loose, toning, occasional finger-mark.) Original green cloth, mounted colour plate to upper cover (spine ends bumped, small mark to upper cover). [Linder, p. 429]. - And a further thirteen volumes by Beatrix Potter (including first editions of 'The Tale of Pigling Bland', 1913, 16mo, and 'The Tale of Tom Kitten', 1907, 16mo, and 'The Tale of Flopsy Bunnies', 1909, 16mo) (14).

COOKERY. - Elizabeth DAVID. French Country Cooking. London: Macdonald & Co., 1958. Second edition, first impression, 8vo (195 x 126mm.) Illustrations by John Minton. (Toning.) Original grey cloth (spine ends bumped), dust-jacket (rubbing to extremities, minor tape repairs verso). - And a further volume by Elizabeth David (the second edition of 'A Book of Mediterranean Food', 1958, 8vo) (2).

ASTRONOMY. - James REYNOLDS (publisher). Astronomical Diagrams. London: J. Reynolds, [circa 1849.] Loose as issued, 4to (283 x 225mm.) 15 hand-coloured engraved plates on stiff card, including 4 with apertures and tissue-backing. (Browning to margins, marginal crease to one plate, light soiling verso.) Original blue blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettering to upper cover (rubbing to extremities and wear to spine panel, margins finger-marked). Note: the plates with apertures are intended to be held to the light to see the constellations. The plate titles are: 'Telescopic View of the Moon', 'The Planets', 'Eclipses', 'Constellations of the Northern Celestial Hemisphere', 'Methods of Ascertaining the Latitude', 'Constellations of the Southern Celestial Hemisphere', 'Methods of Ascertaining the Longitude', 'Diagram of Meteorology', 'The Earth's Annual Revolution Round the Sun', 'The Sun and Solar Phenomena', 'Transparent Diagram of the Phases of the Moon', 'The Earth and It's Atmosphere', 'The Seasons', 'Transparent Solar System' and 'Chart of the Heavens'.

[SHELLEY, Mary.] The Keepsake for MDCCCXXXIII… edited by Frederic Mansel Reynolds. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown et al., [1832.] 16 engraved plates. (Spotting and browning to plate margins and some leaves.) Near contemporary half calf (worn, lacking half spine panel). Note: contains two short stories by Mary Shelley, 'The Brother and Sister, an Italian Story' and her gothic tale of love lost and found, 'The Invisible Girl, a Tale'. - And a further two volumes ('The Iliad of Homer', 1712, 12mo, and Elizabeth Rowe's 'Friendship in Death', 1750, 8vo) (3).

[SHELLEY, Mary.] The Keepsake… edited by Frederic Mansel Reynolds. London: for the Proprietor by Hurst, Chance & Co., [1827-1836.] 8 vols., 8vo (178 x 113mm.) Numerous engraved plates. (Light spotting, occasionally moderate, lacking title for 'MDCCCXXVIII'.) Near contemporary green half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (lacking two lettering pieces, and one torn, rubbing). Note: volumes for the years 1828-1832, 1834-1835, 1837. The Keepsake contained contributions from many of the leading figures of the Romantic period, including Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey, P.B. Shelley. In the 'Keepsake for MDCCCXXXI' there are two short stories by Mary Shelley, 'The Sisters of Albano', the gothic tale 'Ferdinando Eboli', and in 'Keepsake for MDCCCXXXII' is Mary Shelley's story 'The Dream, A Tale' (8).

BARRETT, Charles G. The Lepidoptera of the British Islands. London: L. Reeve & Co., 1893-1907. 11 vols., large illustrated edition, royal 8vo (254 x 172mm.) 504 hand-coloured lithographed plates by R. Morgan, 1p. of publisher's advertisements to rear of volume XI. (Toning to margins, some creasing to endpapers, volume 3 text-block cracked at p. 397, volume 4 with text-block detached from lower cover, some hinges cracked.) Original brown cloth (extremities bumped, volume XI with damp-spotting to boards), later dust-jackets with paper labels to spine and lettering in manuscript (sunning, tearing, staining). - And a related volume ('Alphabetical List of Species Contained in C.G. Barrett's Lepidoptera of the British Islands, forming a Supplementary Index To That Work', 1907, 8vo) (12).

[BUTLER, Alban.] The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints: Compiled from Original Monuments, and other Authentick Records. London: [N.p.:] 1756-1759. 4 vols. in 6, first edition, 8vo (198 x 122mm.) 6 title-pages, 1 engraved plate of Roman torture devices. (Repair verso title-page of volume 1, tear to X1 of same volume, occasional ink annotation, browning and occasional spotting.) Early 19th century calf, two green morocco lettering pieces to spines (some loss to lower cover of volume 4, paper labels to base of spines). Note: scarce in the first edition. It was printed with no stated author or publisher. Provenance: English College, Lisbon (bookplates to front pastedowns and ink inscribed to four title-pages). - And a further nine volumes (including a first edition of Charles Dickens' 'Our Mutual Friend', 1865, 2 vols. in 1, 8vo, and a book of engraved sheet music, mostly published by Clementi, with eleven longer pieces including work by Hadyn, Cramer and Dussek, with approximately twenty-four further songs and glees, [circa 1800], 4to) (15).