Curiosities of the Tower of London.

Two volumes. 124 (4); 125, (3) pp. Second edition. Volume one with woodcut frontispiece and twelve full-page woodcuts; volume two with woodcut frontispiece and one full-page woodcut. Presents young readers with a history of London's landmark, spending considerable space on the animals that were once housed there and touching on its other uses since its construction in 1066. Thomas Boreman was the first English publisher of books for children. He believed that instruction for children should be accompanied by "diversion and entertainment." He offered his miniature publications in two volumes so as not to create a book so large that a child could not fit it in his pocket. In the original Dutch paste-paper floral boards. Small marginal tear to preliminary leaf in volume two, few margins slightly shaved, else an unusually fine, fresh set of this rare children's book. (Bondy p. 21; Gottlieb 173; Welsh 1408). (2 3/8 by 1 15/16; 61x50mm).

The Gigantick History of the Two Famous Giants, and Other Curiosities in Guildhall. Together with: Volume the Second: Which Comprises the History of Guildhall, London. With Other Curious Matters.

Two volumes. xvi, 112; 128pp. First volume is the third edition; second volume is the second edition. Volume one with woodcut frontispiece of the two giants and one other full-page woodcut; volume two with woodcut frontispiece showing the Guildhall. Describes the history of Gog and Magog, as well as the iconography of the statues and images in the Guildhall, and an account of the Lord Mayor's Show. According to Gerald Gottlieb, who cites Volume the Second only, these books are the early volumes in the Gigantick Histories series, which were published from 1740-1742. Thomas Boreman was the first English publisher of books for children. He believed that instruction for children should be accompanied by "diversion and entertainment." He offered his miniature publications in two volumes so that a child could easily fit it in his pocket. In the original Dutch floral paste-paper boards. Rear cover of the first volume has been expertly reattached; final leaf of the second volume has been lifted from inside rear cover with no loss of text. An unusually fine, fresh set of this rare children's book. (2 3/8 by 1 15/16; 61x50mm).

Westminster Abbey.

Three volumes. 123, (5); 123, (5); 125, (3)pp. First edition. All three volumes contain frontispiece illustrations and a total of twenty-nine full-page illustrations from woodcuts, as well as numerous typographical tailpieces. Part of Thomas Boreman's Gigantick Histories series of miniature books for children. This title is the only set from the series issued in three volumes. In keeping with publishers of the time, each volume has a printed list of subscribers before the contents, which would have certainly given the little masters and misses whose names appear there some sense of importance. Complete sets of the Gigantick Histories are exceedingly rare: only one set has sold at auction in the past twenty-five years. This is an uncommonly fine, bright copy in the original Dutch floral paste-paper boards which show only the slightest wear. (2 1/8 by 1 7/8; 59x46mm).

Bogstaver (Letters).
Anonymous

Octavo. (6)ff. Manuscript alphabet book in Danish with hand-colored illustrations throughout. Written in cursive script, the book opens with lowercase and capital-letter alphabets. These are followed by tables of small, precise, colored drawings of items beginning with each letter of the alphabet, accompanied by descriptions of the items. Other pages have large illustrations at the top which are slightly Neoclassical in style, with lessons related to each written below. In one illustration, titled "Symbol," a burning torch and an arrow tied together with ribbon are described as an ancient Greek symbol of love and friendship. Other illustrations depict musical instruments and a scroll with roses. Fine in modern gray boards with a gilt-titled vellum spine.

Les Principales Aventures de L'Incomparable Chevalier Errant Don Quichotte de la Manche.
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de

Large folio. (1), (25)ff., plates. A reissue or reimpression published after the artist, Charles-Antoine Coypel, was named "Premier Peintre du Roi" in 1747; this series of twenty-five engravings was first presented as a deluxe portfolio in Paris, in 1724. The engravings were done after a series of paintings illustrating scenes from Don Quixote that Coypel had designed for a popular set of tapestries, which were woven continuously between 1714 and 1794. Coypel supervised the portfolio's production, and, according to the title page, the engravings were done by "les plus habiles artistes en ce genre." These artists included L. Surugue, F. Joullain, C. N. Cochin, and eight other engravers, who sign the plates. Coypel's depictions of scenes from Don Quixote differed significantly from previous illustrations of Cervantes's classic in that they were less focused on humor, and were more courtly and sophisticated, taking into account the eighteenth-century French taste for the Fête Galante and romanticized depictions of aristocrats in baroque rural settings. The scenery of these illustrations is much more lush Versailles than arid La Mancha. In addition, Coypel's illustrations were never intended to accompany a text, but instead were meant to be admired as decorative pieces. Bound in nineteenth-century half dark blue morocco over marbled boards. The spine bears a crimson lettering piece with gilt lettering. Wear to corners and head and foot of spine, front hinge starting, covers rubbed in spots, some faint marginal foxing, else a very good copy.

Original Stories from Real Life; with Conversations, Calculated to Regulate the Affections, and Form the Mind to Truth and Goodness.
Wollstonecraft, Mary

12mo. (xii), 177pp., + (3)pp. advertisements. Second edition. This is the first edition to be illustrated with six plates designed and engraved by William Blake, which are in the second state. In this didactic text, intended to aid in the education of young women, two spoiled girls are shown the moral virtues of charity, honesty, and selflessness by their governess, Mrs. Mason. Ink spots to the margins of a couple pages, not affecting text, else very fine in later calf, gilt-ruled spine with a red lettering piece. All edges yellow.

Atti della Solenne Coronazione fatta in Campidoglio della Insigne Poetessa D.na Maria Maddalena Morelli Fernandez pistojese tra gli Arcadi Corilla Olimpica.
(Fernandez, Maria Maddalena Morelli)

Octavo. xii, 296pp. First edition. Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the poetess crowned with a laurel wreath, eleven beautifully-engraved vignettes and twelve culs-de-lamp.This elegantly-printed volume was published in commemoration of the coronation of poet Maria Maddalena Morelli Fernandez with laurels on the Capitol in Rome in 1778, after enduring a three-day test of her poetic skill. She was crowned in the same ceremony that had honored Petrarch and the improvisatore Perfetti before her. Fernandez was widely renowned for her skill at poetic improvisation, and was named a member of the prestigious literary Academy of Arcadia in Rome. Upon joining the Academy, she adopted the name Corilla Olimpica. The text describes the events and includes a collection of sonnets, odes, and other poetic verses in tribute to "Corilla." Bound in stiff wrappers covered with blue, pink, and yellow marbled paper, with the title inscribed in ink on the spine. Covers show some wear to extremities, some loss to head and tail of spine, else fine.

Les métamorphoses de Melpomene et de Thaile, ou, Caracteres dramatiques de comédies françois et italienne.

Octavo. (2)ff., + 23ff. of full-page engraved portraits. First edition. The engravings are portraits of prominent French actors in costume for their most famous roles, below which is printed the name of the character and the play and excerpted lines from that role. Portrayed here are Mesdemoiselles Clarion, Duménil, and Favart, and Messieurs Molé, Bellecour, and Le Kain in roles ranging from Sophocles to Racine. This copy has been augmented, not only by the elaborate hand-coloring, but also by manuscript notations facing each portrait. These notes explain when the actor began his or her theatrical career and give a brief description of the run of a particular production. Long seen as a rare book, there has only been one copy of the 1770 edition at auction in the last twenty-five years, and it was defective. Some mild internal spotting, else near fine in contemporary mottled calf, which shows an older, discreet rebacking and slight rounding to corners.

Opere di Dante Alighieri.
Dante

Four quarto volumes: L'Inferno, Il Purgatorio, Il Paradiso, Prose & Rime Liriche. (16), xlviii, ccccviii; ccccxiii, (3); cccclii, (4), 104; xii, 408, (4), 264, lxxxiv, (2)pp. Illustrated throughout with 114 engraved plates, by F. Giampiccoli, J. Magnini, F. Rizzi, and B. Crivelli, after works by Italian artists Francesco Fontebasso, Gaetano Zompini, G. Schiavoni, and G. F. Marcazzi. Also with numerous engraved illustrations, vignettes, and a folding geneaology. An elegant set of Dante's works dedicated to the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The set opens with a stately engraved portrait of the Empress and a dedicatory page with a sonnet composed by the editor, Count Cristoforo Zapata de Cisneros. The text includes a biography of the poet and annotations by scholars P. Pompeo Venturi and Gio. Antonio Volpe. According to an 1852 catalogue from Bernard Quaritch, this set was considered by the Italian literati at the time to be the most correct version of Dante's works, and "the annotations by Venturi and Volpi are especially esteemed." Bound by Petit, who succeeded the famed Parisian bookbinder Simier in 1849, in gilt-ruled red morocco with marbled endpapers and gilt dentelles on the turn-ins. Spine in six compartments with raised bands, gilt-titled in two and richly ornamented with gilt tooling in the remaining four. Wear to corners and bottom edge, else a fine set. T.e.g.

Five Micrographic Biblical Passages.
Anonymous

Five bifolium sheets, each measuring approximately 7 5/8 by 10 3/4 inches. All contain images of Biblical scenes, composed of miniature writing known as micrography. The images, therefore, are composed of the words from the Biblical passages that describe the action being depicted. Four of these images are framed with watercolor borders. The scenes shown are: Samson slaying the lion, composed of the text from Judges 14; Samson pulling down the pillars of the Philistine temple and Delilah cutting Samson's hair, both of which are drawn from sections of Judges 16; Daniel in the lion's den with text from Daniel 6; and the bearing of giant fruit from the land of the Canaanites. This last image lacks a border but contains the full text of Numbers 13 below. Micrography, or micro-calligraphy, can be traced back to the ninth century, when it appeared primarily in Jewish Biblical codices. Marginal notations from these codices were employed to create geometric and floral patterns. Micrography was also popular in Christianity and Islam because it circumvented the Second Commandment, which proscribed the depiction of "what is in the heavens above." As the technique spread throughout Europe, more elaborate motifs emerged, usually comprised of introductory passages from Biblical texts, as exemplified by this intricate example. The practice of micrography, while slightly altered, is still in use to this day. Apart from a few small holes to the Canaanite image and minor soiling to edges, this is a fine set.

S. JANS EVANGELIE Met de 7. Woorden, een schoon Benedictie ende 5. dankseggingen.
St. John

(8)ff. A very rare devotional book, of the sort that, according to Bondy, "were carried by simple believing souls as talismans under their shirts at the height of their heart." Contains a brief summary of the Gospel of John, the Seven Last Words, a benediction, and a prayer of thanksgiving. With two woodcuts, showing the Last Supper and the Sacred Heart. Cropped for binding, but with ample margins. Remarkably fine in an attractive full blue morocco binding with spine gilt in compartments and matching slipcase. (Spielmann 462; Bondy p. 32). (1 7/8 by 1 1/2; 47x37mm).

Almanach des Heroides, Contes, Fables, Theatres, Poesies &c. Avec de trés-belles Figures pour l'année MDCCLXXXI.

32mo. 56pp. Illustrated with six detailed double-page engravings, several of which are pastoral scenes of shepherds and shepherdesses. In addition to the typical contents of an almanac, such as the months of the year and phases of the moon, this example contains verses taken from theater, poetry, and classical mythology. Each page is framed in an ornate typographical border with scallops in each corner. This copy features a lovely embroidered and hand-painted binding of pink silk. Both covers are decorated with a scrolled border embroidered in silver and dark orange thread. In the center of the front cover is a raised medallion hand-painted with a design of a smiling cupid holding his bow and arrow. The medallion is circled with delicate pink and silver sequins. The rear cover bears a similar medallion painted with a child and birds. The spine has a hand-painted foliate design. Green silk endpapers and a pocket inside the front cover that is hand-painted with a design of ribbon and gardening tools. Two Austrian tax stamps are pasted on the front free endpaper. An uncommonly fine and bright example of an eighteenth-century embroidered binding. A.e.g.

LONDON ALMANACK FOR THE YEAR OF CHRIST 1796.

(12)pp. In addition to the months of the year, this almanac gives the chronology of the English monarchy from 1066, a chronology of Mayors and Sheriffs of London, and a table for the weight of English coins. As this is a double width issue of the almanac, the plate of the Hall at Carlton House is shown on pages 2-3. Bound in pink wrappers, with a wallet-style flap, as issued. Slight wear along outer folds of the wrappers else a fresh copy. (Spielmann 318; Welsh 4590; See Bromer/Edison, pp. 93-94). (2 1/4 by 2 5/8; 57x67mm).

Petits Souvenirs de la Suisse.

A panorama of fourteen hand-colored prints depicting picturesque places in Switzerland. Each image has a black border and is pasted onto the fold-out with a hand-written name of the place shown. It is enclosed in a green leather cover, and the whole is housed in a brown slipcase with the title in gilt and gilt decoration. A very fine copy of a charming souvenir. (1 by 1 5/8; 25x41mm).

Vader Onze (The Lord's Prayer).

A completely original leporello manuscript of the Lord's Prayer, in Dutch. The text of the prayer is written out in a fine gothic script in two long lines, and opens with four large, decorative initials. Bound in contemporary blind-stamped calf with fore-edge clasp. When closed and clasped, the volume measures a mere 1/2 by 5/8; 14x16mm. Unfolds to 15 1/4; 396mm.

London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1772.
Company of Stationers

(24)pp. Entirely engraved with the phases of the moon, saints' days and tidal information for the city of London. A panoramic view of the New Excise Office printed on four consecutive pages. Bound in full red morocco with elaborate gilt-stamping on both covers. The faintest wear to top of spine, else the book and its matching slipcase are quite fine. A.e.g. (Welsh 4563; See Bromer/Edison, pp. 93-94). (2 3/16 by 1 5/16; 55 x 35mm).

The History of Little Jack.
Day, Thomas, Esq.

24mo. 99, (iv)pp. A "new edition," with twenty-three woodcuts. Illustrated throughout with a frontispiece and woodcuts showing scenes from Little Jack's life by John Bewick, the younger brother of the famed wood engraver and illustrator Thomas Bewick. John Bewick was apprenticed to his brother for five years and then moved to London to work on his own. He completed more than 60 works in the span of his short career (1777 to 1795). This book is a separate edition of a tale that was originally published, without illustrations, as part of The Children's Miscellany by Thomas Day. The publisher's introduction explains that this small, reasonably-priced version, first published in 1788 with twenty-two woodcuts, was intended for children who might not be able to afford more expensive books, and was meant "to diffuse, as extensively as possible, the entertainment and instruction to be derived from well-written works of this kind." Covers slightly rubbed, some wear to extremities, else fine in original Dutch paste-paper boards. Gift note inside front cover.

KERN DER KERKELYKE HISTORIE (The Essence of Church History).
Anonymous

Two volumes. 558pp., paginated continuously. Complete, with thirty-six fine engravings, including the title, portraits of Wycliffe and Luther, and a folding plate of the Synod of Dordrecht (1618). Specifically dedicated to Dutch youth, the history of Christianity starts with Adam and Eve and continues through the Reformation, the persecution of the Protestants, and their emigration to America. A fine copy of this rare young people's history, in modern morocco binding with gilt rules and floral tools. (Welsh 4140, Spielmann 277, Bondy p. 25, Mikrobiblion 30, American Art Association 68, Houghton 235). (1 15/16 by 1 7/16; 49x33mm).

'T ORANJE GESLAGT.

(48)pp. This is the smallest of all the 18th century books known to us, printed in 5-point black-letter type across the spread, with pages pasted together and set into the binding. A collection of poems on the kings of the House of Orange, this book was printed during the reign of William IV, Prince of Orange and Nassau-Dietz, the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands. It was virtually unknown until 1952 when, according to an article in The Miniature Book Collector, several copies mysteriously came up for sale. The article goes on to say that a Dutch antique dealer had found a box full of these minute books in a collection of antiques he had bought. He sold the whole group of books, but "later regretted having done so as the sight of the tiny volumes in his window had brought him many curious customers" (6). The books described in the article and in Houghton were bound in red calf with decorated in gilt, but this copy is bound in contemporary brown calf with gilt ornamentation. Slight bowing to boards, else fine. Housed in a red leather clamshell box lined in felt. Altogether a fine copy of an extremely rare book with an interesting story. A.e.g. (Welsh 5402; Houghton 259; Miniature Book Collector June 1960, p.5). (11/16 by 3/8; 17x9mm).

The Book of Common Prayer, Together with the Psalter, or Psalms of David.
Anonymous

12mo. 282ff. Bound by Edwards of Halifax in full vellum with a gilt pentaglyph and metope roll border on a blue wash background. Both covers ornamented with gilt wavy broken line and sprig roll borders on a blue wash background, enclosing a gilt roll with the leaf spray initials "MLC" at center. Spine with gilt titling against a blue wash background, and compartments separated by the gilt pentaglyph and metope roll border. Each compartment contains a tooled urn device. With a contemporary fore-edge painting of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. Once one of the richest religious houses, thanks to its system of lay brothers within its severe Cistercian order, it was dismantled under Henry VIII's dissolution of monastaries. It is the largest abbey ruin in England. A contemporary ownership inscription (M.L. Carey? or Casey?) at the top margin of the title page matches the initials on the front cover. It is likely, therefore, that the painting and the binding were commissioned by the original owner, a conjecture that is reinforced by the fine condition of this example. Apart from light foxing to title page and a few early leaves, the text is fresh and clean, the vellum is likewise clean, with just a touch of finger soiling, and it retains its original slipcase of gilt-tooled, straight-grained green morocco.

Escuela Paleographica, ó de Leer Letras Cursivas Antiguas y Modernas, desde la Entrada de los Godos en España, Hasta Nuestros Tiempos.
Merino de Jesuchristo, P. Andres

Folio. (xxxiv), 442pp. With an engraved title-page, 59 plates showing examples of calligraphy, and one vignette. The plates display a wide variety of alphabets, and the vignette that opens the book is a depiction of two gods in a woodland clearing flanked by several cherubs busily engaged in the act of writing. The Escuela Paleographica contstitutes a major historical study of Spanish paleography, the facsimilie plates skillfully copied from the works of Mabillon and Rodriguez as well as directly from manuscripts that were held in various Spanish libraries. Bound in early, likely original, full Spanish tree calf. Endpapers marbled. Some chipping and rubbing to extremities, light stains to boards, superficial tear in leather to rear board. Internally fine, although lacking final leaf of glossary (p. 443), which appears to have been omitted when the book was bound. Owner's calligraphic inscription to front endpaper.

London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1786.

(13)ff. A monthly calendar with a double-page engraving of the Bank of England and two other single-page engravings. Also with lists of Royals, holidays, coins, etc. Contemporary red tax stamp to title-page. An uncommonly fine example, with the gilt and colored morocco onlays looking bright and fresh on the book and only a bit less so on the matching slipcase. A.e.g. (Spielmann 313; Welsh 4576; See Bromer/Edison, pp. 93-94). (2 1/4 by 1 5/8; 57x33mm).

Round Text Copies with a Set of Roman Ciphers for marking Goods.

Oblong 12mo. (15) ff. A book of lettering samples in two large lines of text per page. Samples engraved by F. Ellis. Bound in gray paper wrappers. Ink spots to both covers, tear to paper at foot of spine, bumping at the corners. Few ink spots and some toning internally. A very good copy of an eighteenth century writing book.

The Young Penman's Daily Practice, in the Current Forms of Business. A New Copy Book; Useful for All Concerned in the Practice of Penmanship.
Champion, Joseph

Small quarto. (17) ff. First edition. A book for copying various forms of lettering, with seventeen full-page engraved plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the author. Joseph Champion, a writing master, contributed approximately fifty plates to Bickham's famed Universal Penman. Bound in green marbled boards backed in green cloth, and with cloth corner pieces. Minor wear at spine head and foot, small spot of discoloration to bottom margin of several leaves not affecting plates, a touch of soiling interior. About fine, with well preserved plates.

Escuela Paleographica, ó de Leer Letras Cursivas Antiguas, desde la Entrada de los Godos en España, hasta Nuestros Tiempos.
Merino de Jesuchristo, P. Andres

Folio. (xxxiv), 443pp. First edition. With an engraved title-page, 59 plates showing examples of calligraphy, and one color vignette. The plates display a wide variety of alphabets, and the stunning color vignette that opens the book is a depiction of two gods in a woodland clearing flanked by several cherubs busily engaged in the act of writing. The scene has been beautifully colored by a contemporary hand. The Escuela Paleographica constitutes a major historical study of Spanish paleography, the facsimile plates skillfully copied from the works of Mabillon and Rodriguez as well as directly from manuscripts that were held in various Spanish libraries. Bound in contemporary Spanish tree calf. Endpapers marbled. The spine is in seven compartments, with ornate gilt decorations in each. Also with a red leather spine label, gilt-lettered. Some rubbing to extremities, corners bumped, couple of small closed tears and one worm hole in leather. Overall a fine copy, bright and unmarked internally.

Ornamenti di Fregi e fogliami S. D. Bella inv.
Bella, Stefano della

Oblong quarto. (40)ff. Bound together with Ornamenti di Capitelli, Architravi, Freggi, e Cornici; with Varie inventioni di vasi da acqua benedetta fatti al moderno in Anversa; with Chiusure di Capelle varie; and with another group of engravings, unnamed. All illustrations by Franz Ertinger, whose work illustrated numerous titles in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. There is an indication that the first group of plates in this volume may have been engraved after the work of Ertinger by Cornelis Galle the Younger, who was the son of a well-known Antwerp engraver. In total the book contains thirty-four plates, all full-page, of various ornamentation including cherubs, serpents, wild animals, vine and leaf, iconography, architecture, and more. A heavy, blank leaf follows each of the titles, separating it from the next. Bound in brown boards backed in vellum, with red morocco label to spine. Boards rubbed and with some scratches, fore-corners a bit worn, minor scattered foxing interior. A very good copy overall. Circular crest device embossed to each title-page, booklabel and bookplate to inside front cover.

Sieben Gebeter einer Schwangen Frauen um glückliche Entbindung.

16mo. xxvi, 83 pp. One of fifty copies. An eighteenth century book of prayers for pregnant women, in German and French. A beautifully printed volume, published by order of the Infanta of Parma. Printed on Dutch laid paper, featuring Bodoni's characteristically delicate typography and decorative devices, including a full typographic border. In the original pale orange boards, with a morocco label to the spine, lettered in gilt. A small split and chip to the upper hinge at the foot of the spine, slight bumping to corners, very small tears to outer margins of a few pages not affecting text, occasional minor foxing. A near fine copy.

Scherzi poetici e pittorici.
de Rossi, Giovanni Gherardo

Octavo. (52)ff. A collection of epigrams, sonnets, and other poems concerning love and featuring Venus and Cupid, by the Italian poet de Rossi. Elegantly illustrated with engraved title and forty images by Francesco Rosaspina after Portuguese artist José Teixeira Barreto. Each image has the background colored with a yellow wash with the exception of image 34 which is colored with a rose wash. This is one of a small number of copies without the borders or titles to the images. The book's text block bears the hallmarks of a Bodoni production, namely a clean typeface set on a spare, uncluttered page. With marbled endpapers and a binding of nineteenth century mottled calf decorated with a three-rule gilt border and gilt dentelles. The spine is in six compartments with red and black morocco title labels and four gilt ornaments. Small wormholes to spine head and foot, else a fine copy of a truly elegant book from one of history's great printers. Bookplate of Italian publisher and bookseller Leonis S. Olschki. A.e.g.

TRIBUTO di lodi con epigrammi a Cloride Tanagria in ringraziamento del dono di un'Ode dalla medesima fatto a me Vencenzo Comaschi.

24 mo. (9) pp. A rare volume from one of history's great type designers and printers, Giambatista Bodoni, from whom the present-day Bodoni family of typefaces originated. Fine in brown and yellow decorated-paper wrappers. Text in Italian. A.e.g.

Elogio del Conte Zaccaria Betti.
Betti, Conte Zaccaria

Small quarto. (iv), 61, (ii)pp. Engraved frontispiece portrait of Betti by Xav. Della Rosa. Beautifully printed as usual by Bodoni. Frontispiece and title toned, else fine in worn contemporary marbled boards.

Giornata Villereccia Poemetto in tre Canti.
(Bondi, Clemente)

Octavo. (viii), 62 pp. Illustrated with an engraved title-page and three engraved vignettes at the opening of each Canto. An early title from this celebrated Italian press. Brooks shows the title-page in his bibliography. Bound in contemporary stiff wrappers that have been rebacked at an early time. Some wear and fading to wrappers, minor soiling interior, and a hole in one leaf not affecting text. Overall a nice copy of a scarce Bodoni production.

A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy by Mr. Yorick.
Sterne, Laurence

Two small octavo volumes. (ii), xx, 203; (iv), 208 pp. First edition, first issue. Bound with the rare advertisement leaf promising completion of the work the following year and including a list of subscribers. Also, a frontispiece portrait of Jens Baggesen, an eighteenth century Danish writer who was greatly influenced by Sterne, has been inserted at the beginning of volume I. The portrait was probably inserted by the Danish collector whose library this book came from. The provenance further includes Lord Gray, whose bookplate appears on the inside front cover of volume I. A Sentimental Journey is Sterne's best-known work apart from Tristram Shandy. Bound in contemporary marbled boards with calf spines, gilt in six compartments with red morocco titles. A very nice copy, with virtually no foxing. Housed in a morocco-backed, marbled slipcase labeled Baggeseniana in gilt on the spine, with the title "Yorick's Labyrint," a combination of Sterne's original title and the title of Baggesen's similar work, "The Labyrinth." A delightfully calculated obfuscation -- Sterne and Baggesen would approve.

Anakreontos Thioy Melh. The Odes of Anacreon translated into Italian verses by Eritisco Pilenejo.
Anacreon

Quarto. 97pp. Lyrical works by the ancient Greek poet whose name has become associated with bacchanalian and amorous affairs. Text in Ionian Greek and Italian. Bound in original boards with original paper spine label. Extremities and spine lightly frayed, spine professionally repaired, else a near fine and rare example from Bodoni's most fertile period.

Sophocles Tragoediæ Quæ Extant Septem.
Sophocles

Small quarto. vi, (426)pp. Greek-only variant edition. Foulis printed this at the same time as his two volume Latin and Greek edition, which Dibdin notes "is deemed... inaccurate." The present edition, however, is "a very correct edition" of Sophocles's seven tragedies, in addition to being attractively set. Bound in contemporary dark olive morocco, with spine stamped in gilt in five compartments. Boards have become browned, especially along the spine, small bump to lower front corner, and light wear to tips and along outer front hinge. A.e.g. With the engraved bookplate of collector Herbert S. Squance, and the heraldic bookplate of M. Delisle. From the collection of renowned bibliophile Charles C. Kalbfleisch, with his morocco booklabel on front paste-down.

Dressed Print.
Anonymous

A single printed sheet, framed in cloth, measuring 8 by 10 inches. An engraved scene of Christ being tied and nailed to the Cross, surrounded by his followers, onlookers, military personnel, and various other figures. Portions of the printed illustration have been carefully excised and substituted with various fabrics in brilliant colors to form, in most instances, the clothing of the figures in the scene. The engraving itself is circa 1590, while the fabrics date from the 1740s. Generally, these dressed prints were created for the German aristocracy. A couple of unobtrusive wormholes and a faint dampstain to lower margin, else about fine.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES OF ENGLISH HISTORY FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF YOUTH.

Wooden cut jigsaw, the same puzzle as the first 1788 edition, reissued and hand-colored. 32 portraits of the monarchs from William I to George II, engraved. Banners surrounding each portrait give dates of birth and death and length of reign, while remarkable events and eminent persons are listed below. The pieces have been cut, with a few small pieces missing, most notably "the" in the title line. The few other missing pieces (1/4 inch) do not affect portraits or text. Measures 16 by 22 inches. Matted and framed. (Hannas p.94).

Fregi e Majuscole incise e fuse da Giambattista Bodoni, Direttore della Stamperia Reale.

Octavo. (iv), (58)pp. First edition. This is the first type specimen book issued by Bodoni. It contains an eleven-page introduction, 409 ornaments, and a scale of capitals, which, according to Brooks was "del Fournier che stava imitando." Several typefaces are included, from simple to rococo. This example of Bodoni's typographic work is transitional, drawing on elements of Fournier's type while hinting at his work to come. Each page of text is delicately framed with borders composed of Bodoni's ornaments. At the time that this book was published, Bodoni was the director of the Stamperia Reale, the Duke of Parma's press, and had just set up his own type foundry. This rare and charming work is bound in nineteenth century quarter calf and mottled boards, spine gilt in five compartments. There is just a bit of rubbing along outer hinge, else fine in felt-lined quarter morocco folding case.

Fables by the Late Mr. Gay. In One Volume Complete.
Gay, John

Octavo. 252pp. First Bewick edition. Contains 67 woodcuts illustrating the fables and thirty-three vignettes. The woodcuts are detailed and skillful, showing the level of technique that would earn Thomas Bewick his fame. John and Thomas Bewick were the leaders of the renaissance in the art of wood engraving at the end of the eighteenth century. Thomas Bewick was apprenticed in Newcastle until 1774 and had already won seven guineas from the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in 1775 for the woodcut of "The Hound and the Huntsman," which is found on page 132. Nicely rebound in Cambridge-style full paneled calf. Housed in a brown cloth dropback box with morocco spine label and title in gilt. T.e.g.

Les Fables D'Ésope, mises en françois, avec le sens moral en quatre vers, & des figures à chaque fable.
Aesop

Octavo. c, 314pp. A new edition, according to the title page, revised and expanded to include a lengthy, illustrated biography of Aesop by Planudes. With a large woodcut portrait of the author and numerous woodcuts throughout illustrating scenes from the fables. This version of Aesop's fables is intended for and dedicated to young people. Mended tears on a few pages and ownership inscription on front endpaper, else a very nice copy in speckled calf, richly gilt to spine. All edges red.

Quinti Horatii Flacci Opera.
Horace

Two octavo volumes. (32), 265; (24), 191, (15)pp. Second issue. This edition was printed entirely from copper plates engraved by John Pine and is notable for the many vignettes that ornament the text. Illustrated with frontispieces, vignette titles, and numerous plates. In a binding of contemporary full red morocco by Derome, covers triple gilt-ruled, spines richly gilt-stamped, gilt dentelles, and marbled endpapers. Brief previous bookseller's description pasted onto front paste-down of first volume. An attractive and well-preserved set, with just minor wear to extremities and light sunning to spines. A.e.g. With the armorial bookplates of British politician Sir Charles Thomas-Stanford to front paste-downs of both volumes. From the collection of James Laughlin, American poet and the founder of New Directions Publishers, with his booklabels to both front free endpapers.

Portraits des grands hommes, Femmes illustres, et Sujets memorables de France, graves et imprimes en Couleurs, dedies au Roi.

Three quarto volumes. (80); (80); (32) ff. An early color-printed work containing 192 etched and aquatinted plates. Oval portraits of French dignitaries are each followed by historical or military scenes in which the person portrayed took part, captioned beneath with a history of their achievements. We see Fontenelle viewing the moon through his telescope, Joan of Arc ordering the English to quit France, and the death of Montcalm (which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Death of General Wolfe). The portrait of Louis XVI, to whom the book is dedicated, is followed by an allegory of American Independence, with portraits of Franklin, "Waginston," and the King, "in which this historical development is represented as largely the work of France's ineffectual monarch" (Gordon Ray, The Art of the French Illustrated Book). The caption has Rochambeau, d'Estaing, and LaFayette winning the American cause, "supported by General Washington." Sergent was helped in his work by his wife, to whom he had taught engraving. Colin Franklin, in his Catalogue of Early Colour Printing, calls Sergent's work on this book "extraordinary" and, "as colour-printing, an harmonious and excellent achievement." It is a very early example of the use of color in aquatint -- England had not yet begun to use color in this fashion. Originally issued in forty-eight parts, the book has been bound into three volumes in contemporary calf, expertly rebacked. Volume III contains one of the original wrapper covers as the title-page. A fine set of this important work, preserved in a fleece-lined dropback box.

Praesentation eines Fischerstechens (Presentation of a Fishermen's Tournament).
Engelbrecht, Martin

Six uncropped quarto-sized sheets for a peepshow with Engelbrecht's name printed in the lower right corner of each sheet. These brilliantly hand-colored engravings show a gala festivity by the riverside with gaily-dressed men and women "jousting" in boats, some falling into the water. The "lances" are rendered harmless with rounded ends. The first and last sheets show a colorful crowd of onlookers. Engelbrecht was a German engraver and printseller who created "miniature theatres," where a series of engraved, cut-out cards could be inserted into a holder to create a three-dimensional scene. Engelbrecht's creations are thought to be the earliest paper theaters, a precursor to the popular accordion-fold peepshows of the nineteenth century. Included is a modern, wooden hinged stand with slots for viewing the peepshow. Small stain to one corner of the first sheet, still these are remarkably fine, very detailed, and bright examples of Engelbrecht's work, with wide, totally uncut margins.

Amelia.
Fielding, Henry

Four small octavo volumes. xii, 285; viii, 262; ix, 323; vii, 296 pp. First edition, second state with the corrected line on page 191 of the third volume. Fielding's last novel was printed in a rather large first printing of 5000 copies, as his publisher had hoped to capitalize on the positive reception to Tom Jones. However, the book's sales fell off after the first day. While not an uncommon book, copies in boards are exceptionally difficult to find, as most were placed into leather bindings. It has been surmised that such bindings were continental; and of all the copies of Amelia that have sold at auction in the last twenty-five years, only one was in boards. This copy is in contemporary tan speckled boards with gilt-stamped rose calf labels. Edges speckled red. Moderate rubbing to extremities, hinges firm. Text clean with no traces of foxing. In near fine condition, with linen drop-back box. (Rothschild 853).

Les Baisers, precedes du Mois de Mai, Poeme.
Dorat, Claude Joseph

Octavo. 119pp. First issue, on large paper, with the title and headings in red. With copper-engraved title vignette, 22 large headpieces and 20 tailpieces after Charles Eisen and two tailpieces after Pierre-Clement Marillier. A large (8 7/8 by 5 5/8 inches) and clean copy with strong impressions of the engravings. Eisen, a master of rococo book illustration, received his earliest training from his father, a Belgian artist, and his works shows the Flemish influence. A notorious libertine, Eisen has become known for his voluptuous depiction of women. The Flemish influence lends his illustrations "the robustness and sensuality which gives them their distinctive mark, (while) the grace, delicacy, and precision with which he realized his conceptions save his work from vulgarity." Bound in full crushed blue morocco, triple gilt filets, spine richly gilt in six compartments by Trautz-Bauzonnet. Inner dentelles richly gilt, bookplate. A fine copy in a morocco-edged slipcase.In Les Baisers, Eisen creates the masterpiece of his career as well as achieving the pinnacle of illustration in small scale. (Cohen-de Ricci 30811; Ray: French 31).