Historia's Books

Interesting Antiquarian Books - including Medieval Music

2010-12-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

Source

POPE, Alexander. Essay on Man. In Epistles to a Friend. Epistle I. Corrected by the Author. London: J. Wilford , 1733.

The four epistles of the Essay on Man were published successively on February 20, March 29, May 8, 1733 and finally on January 24, 1734. The first editions of the first three Epistles appear in variant states, the priority of which is not always clear, but none of which are of significance textually (except Griffith's issue "I" of Epistle I, which Pope revised).

The 'friend' to whom the Epistles were addressed was Henry St. John, Lord Bolingbroke. But this poem was not simply a statement of Bolingbroke's deistic philosophy. It has been referred to as 'a public, social and classical poem', a poem that takes into account Newton's impersonal universe but also interweaves a 'tissue of images from older and more human conceptions' (M. Mack, Works, Vol. III) and which examines the human condition against a Miltonic, cosmic bacground. Although Pope's perspective is well above our everyday life, and he does not hide his wide knowledge, the work is suggestive, dramatic, exciting, and sometimes even comfortably concrete: "Each beast, each insect, happy in its own: / Is Heaven unkind to Man, and Man alone?"

Pope died on May 30, 1744. He left his property to Martha Blount. With the growth of Romanticism Pope's poetry was increasingly seen as outdated and the 'Age of Pope' ended. It was not until 1930s when serious attempt was made to rediscover the poet's work.

Source
Cabbalistic and Theosophicum 1760

Music Scores

berkeley music library

Thesaurus musicus, being a collection of the newest songs, with a thorow-bass to each song for the harpsichord, theorbo, or bass-viol, to which is annexed a collection of aires, composed for two flute.
(London: J. Heptinstall, 1693-96)

The Berkeley Theory Manuscript, (Jan 12, 1375)

Music
Libro Sexto QVE Diego Pisador (b. 1510).
Libro de musica de vihuela (Salamanca: 1552)

Source

Albertus Magnus and Michael Scot, De Secretis Mulierum 1702
This volume also included Michael Scot’s De Secretis Nature

A classic compilation on magical secrets in this case on the secrets of women and the secrets of nature, two texts which were among the most sought after in the 15th and 16th centuries. The content of the two works especially focus on women and childbirth, charms, advice and recipes for all sorts of occasions, magical cures for men and beasts, etc. Both authors derive much of their learning from a wide range of Classical and Mediaeval scientific and magical sources, such as Aristotle, Hermes, Galen, Albertus Magnus and his pupil Henry of Saxony. Together they constitute an exhaustive collection of secret knowledge related to the Grimoire tradition.

Oldest surviving Ethiopian Gospels now being studied

2010-07-15T12:07:00.012-05:00

Garima Gospels

Radiocarbon testing has revealed that a pair of illustrated gospels kept in a remote monastery in Ethiopia may have been made as early as the 4th century and are perhaps the oldest surviving illustrated Christian works in existence. The Garima Gospels were first reported on in the 1950s, but it has only been within the last couple of years that scholars have been able to examine the work and help conserve it.

In 2006 the British-based Ethiopian Heritage Fund began a project to examine the Garima Gospels, which have been kept at the Monastery of Abba Garima in northern Ethiopia for hundreds of years. Scholars were allowed to take two parchment fragments from the manuscripts, and testing at Oxford University revealed that they date back to somewhere between 330 and 650 AD. It had previously been believed that the texts were no older than the twelfth century. According to legend, the manuscripts were brought to Ethiopia from Constantinople by Abba Garima in the year 494.

Jacques Mercier, a French specialist in Ethiopian art, believes that the manuscripts may have been created around 600. Both of them contain several pages of vivid illustrations typical of early Byzantine style, which include a depiction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, a portrait of Saint Luke, and images of over twenty different birds.

Michelle Brown, a former British Library curator, tells the Art Newspaper that, “the Garima Gospels case vital light upon early Christian illuminated manuscript production and upon the role of sub-Saharan Africa…It is the sort of model the inspired such vibrant later Ethiopic art and is an important witness to the way in which the churches of the Christian Orient both absorbed the courtly Christian culture of Constantinople and developed their own voices and styles.”

The texts also received some conservation work, which was done in the monastery, as the texts were not allowed to leave its premises. Blair Priday of the Ethiopian Heritage Fund explained to the Daily Mail, “all the work on the texts was done in situ and everything is reversible, so if in future they can be taken away for further conservation we won’t have hindered that. The pages had been crudely stitched together in a restoration in the 1960s and some of the pages wouldn’t even turn. And they were falling to pieces. The Garima Gospels have been kept high and dry which has helped preserve them all these years and they are kept in the dark so the colours look fresh.”

The Ethiopian Heritage Fund was established in 2005 to undertake conservation of manuscripts and paintings in churches. They have worked on other medieval treasures, including two 15th century paintings of St. Mary. Priday added: ‘Ethiopia has been overlooked as a source of these fantastic things. Many of these old Christian relics can only be reached by hiking and climbing to remote monasteries as roads are limited in these mountainous regions.”

Discovery of Earliest Illuminated Manuscript - June 2010

Extreme Bookbinding - A Fascinating Preservation Project in Ethiopia - 2008

Various Old and Ancient Books - Part 6

2010-03-20T23:10:00.009-05:00

The Comedies of Terence 1765

Treasure of Traffick 1641

Institutions of Christian Religion by John Calvin 1536

Lady Elizabeth Carew
The Tragedie of Mariam, The Faire Queene of Jewry. 1613
Written by that learned, vertuous, and truly noble Ladie, E. C.
London: Printed by Thomas Creede, for Richard Hawkins,

Elizabeth Carew, viscountess of Falkland, wrote The Tragedie of Mariam not for public performance, but for reading or private presentation. It was printed in this first edition by Thomas Creede, who printed the second “Newly corrected” quarto edition of Romeo and Juliet in 1599 and other Shakespeare plays. This is the first published play by an Englishwoman.

Banned Books Exihibition

2010-03-12T11:41:00.007-05:00

And now for something a little different....

This is a new Banned Books Exihibition that has been put online.

It comes from the University of Otago.

Otago is a province in the South Island of New Zealand.

This is the PDF Poster

Enjoy.

Various Old and Ancient Books - Part 5

2010-03-08T22:07:00.022-05:00

A Set of Fifty New and Correct Maps of England and Wales by Herman Moll, 1724
Herman Moll (c1654-1732) was a German emigre (though some references say Dutch) who came to London about in or before 1678 and worked as an engraver. He later set up his own firm and became, around 1700, the foremost map publisher in London. He often complained that other publishers copied his work.

An authentic 14th century church book of early music

Metamorphoses by Ovid
French edition published 1702
English edition published 1632 by John Lichfield at Oxford
Read Metamorphoses

The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem in fifteen books that describes the creation and history of the world. Completed in 8 AD, it has remained one of the most popular works of mythology, being the Classical work best known to medieval writers and thus having a great deal of influence on medieval poetry.

Manual of Agriculture, Paris 1764

Leaf from a Manichaean Book
Manichaean priests, writing at their desks, with panel inscription in Uighur (Language)
Manuscript from Khocho, Tarim Basin, Western China
8th/9th century AD.
SOURCE

Various Old and Ancient Books - Part 4

2010-03-03T16:34:00.016-05:00

Anglican Liturgie in French 1764

Leonardo Da Vinci's original notebook - he wrote in mirror writing.

Leo Africanus 1632

La Graunde Abridgement 1565

September 21, 2006
The oldest book in South Texas College of Law’s Fred Parks Library now dates back to the year 1565. The new acquisition is La Graunde Abridgement by Sir Anthony Fitzherbert.

The massive book, written in Latin, is a compilation of over 14,000 decisions that are the foundation for early English law. English law is grounded in common law, meaning that precedent guided judicial decisions, and this tome was the first thorough attempt made in the 1500's to create a summary of law providing attorneys with a resource for researching past rulings.

This edition of La Graunde Abridgement is from the second printing of the book in 1565. The first edition was printed in 1516. The author, Fitzherbert, was a Judge of Common Pleas in England.

SOURCE

Index to King James Bible 1615

King James New Testament 1611

Various Old and Ancient books - Part 3

2010-03-02T09:39:00.023-05:00

More old and ancient books from my Hard Drive.

Institutions of Christian Religion by John Calvin 1536
History and details of Institutions

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65-8 BC)
Horace. Opera cum Commentariis. Commentary by Badius Jodocus Ascensius and Antonio Mancinelli (Paris: Badius Jodocus Ascensius, 1516).

Homer Virgil Treatise 1695
Le Bossu, R., A. Dacier, et al. (1695). Monsieur Bossu's Treatise of the epick poem : containing many curious reflexions, very useful and necessary for the right understanding and judging of the excellencies of Homer and Virgil. London, Printed for Tho(mas). Bonnet.

The Hawley Book of Hours 1450
South Netherlands Book of Hours
The Hawley Hours (Misc. Ms. 146)
A Fine Illuminated South Netherlands Book of Hours in the Dutch translation ascribed to Gerardus Groot (Gerdde Groot).

Book of Hours
What, when, where, who, why and how.

Gibril ibn Bakhtyshu 1061 CE

Jabril ibn Bakhtyshu - Grandson of Jirjis ibn Jibril, second half of eighth century; physician to Ja'far the Barmakide, then in 805-6 to Harun al-Rashid and later to al-Ma'mun; died in 828-29; buried in the monastery of St. Sergios in Madain (Ctesiphon). Christian (Nestorian) physician, who wrote various medical works and exerted much influence upon the progress of science in Baghdad. He was the most prominent member of the famous Bakhtyashu family. He took pains to obtain Greek medical manuscripts and patronized the translators.
History of Islamic Science

Various old and ancient Books Part 2

2010-02-19T13:41:00.014-05:00

The Geneva Bible 1603 (LARGE FILE)

Francis Bacon - Natural History - 1627

Euripides Greek 1778

Dell Opere 1710

Erasmus Latin New Testament

Erasmus Adagia First Edition 1500

Various old and ancient books

2010-02-15T09:31:00.024-05:00

These are some ancient books saved to the My Picture file that have not been posted yet.

The Defence of Trade 1615 by Dudley Digges
Sir Dudley Digges (Digges Court, Barham, Kent, 19 May c. 1583 – 18 March 1639), of Chilham Castle, Kent (which he completed in 1616), was a Member of Parliament, elected to the Parliament of 1614 [1] and that of 1621, and also a "Virginia adventurer," an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia Company of London. Among the "planters," who emigrated in the 1640s, was Digges's son Edward, who became Governor of Virginia.

Dudley Digges published several political and economic works, The Worthiness of Warre and Warriors (1604), The Defence of Trade (1615), Rights and Privileges of the Subject (1642), and, posthumously, The Compleat Ambassador: or Two Treaties of the Intended Marriage of Qu. Elizabeth of Glorious Memory (1655), a notable study of the two French marriage embassies, of Anjou and of Alençon, which revealed in unprecedented fashion the official despatches and correspondence and is a landmark in English historiography.

Codex Aureus 8th Century Viking (Note - This is a LARGE FILE)

This is a mid-ninth-century inscription, on folio 11 of the Codex Aureus ('Golden Book'), a copy of the Latin Gospels now in Sweden, in the Royal Library at Stockholm (Stockholm, Kungliga Biblioteket, MS A. 135). It records the presentation of the book to the monastic community of Christ Church, Canterbury. The inscription runs along the top margin, and is continued at the foot of the page.

Johannes Capreolus
Jean Capréolus (also, Joannes or John Capreolus) (born c. 1380 in the diocese of Rodez, France; died in that city 6 April 1444) was a French Dominican theologian and Thomist. He is sometimes known as the Prince of the Thomists. His Four Books of Defenses of the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas sparked a revival in Thomism.

Only scanty details of his personal history are known. He was a Dominican affiliated to the province of Toulouse, and a general chapter of his order at Poitiers in 1407 assigned him to lecture on The Sentences in the University of Paris.

Bartholomaeus Anglicus (Bartholomew of England) (born before 1203–died 1272) was an early 13th-century scholastic scholar of Paris, a member of the Franciscan order. He was the author of On the Properties of Things (De proprietatibus rerum), dated at 1240, an early forerunner of the encyclopedia. Anglicus also held senior positions within the church and was appointed Bishop of Łuków although he wasn't consecrated to that position.

Angleterre Parliament 1748

Piers Plowman

2010-02-14T22:29:00.007-05:00

Piers Plowman (written ca. 1360–1387) or Visio Willelmi de Petro Ploughman (William's Vision of Piers Plowman) is the title of a Middle English allegorical narrative poem by William Langland. It is written in unrhymed alliterative verse divided into sections called "passus" (Latin for "step").

Piers is considered by many critics to be one of the early great works of English literature along with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight during the Middle Ages.

It is commonly accepted that Piers Plowman was written by William Langland, about whom little is known. This attribution of the poem to Langland rests principally on the evidence of an early-fifteenth-century manuscript of the C-text (see below) of Piers held at Trinity College, Dublin (MS 212), which ascribes the work to one 'Willielmus de Langlond'.

However a new theory about the authorship has been put forward. That the author of Piers Plowman was actually the Bishop of Exeter in Devon - by the name of John Grandisson (1328-1369). John Grandisson also founded The Kings School in a town not far from Exeter called Ottery St Mary.

The Bay Psalm Book

2010-02-12T10:19:00.012-05:00

The Bay Psalm Book
First Book ever to be printed in the United States of America
Published by Stephen Day
Cambridge Massachusetts 1640

The oldest surviving book printed in what became the United States is, as is widely known, The Whole Booke of Psalmes, a.k.a the Bay Psalm Book. Eleven copies of it are known to exist. People get excited about it; they want to come and see it. It's American. It's really old, it's historic and it's part of America's history.

Bay Psalm Book - showing Psalms

Comedies and Tragedies of Beaumont and Fletcher
Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher
Never Printed Before
London 1647

After a long break.....

2010-02-10T10:49:00.014-05:00

Nieuhoff, Johannes. 1763
An EMBASSY from the East-India Company of the UNITED PROVINCES, to the Grand Tartar Cham emperor of CHINA, deliver'd by their Excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at His Imperial City of PEKING. Wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from CANTON to PEKING, are ingeniously describ'd, by Mr. John Nieuhoff, steward to the AMBASSADORS.

Also an epistle of Father John Adams their autagonist, concerning the whole Negotiations. With an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher, English'd, and set forth with their several Scolptures, By John Ogilby Esq. His Majesties cartographer, geographical printer and maker of the rolls in the Kingdom of Ireland. The second edition. London. 1673.

Folio, 431 p. (28x42 cm.) 2 page map of China, 2 page plan of Canton, 46 engr. plates

Letters to a Married Woman 1792

Mona Antiqua Restaurata

An Archaeological Discourse on the ANTIQUITIES, Natural and Historical, of the ISLE of ANGLESEY. The Ancient Seat of the British Druids.

In Two Essays.

With an APPENDIX containing a Comparative Table of ?? words and Derivatives of them in several tongues of Europe with remarks upon them.

Together with some LETTERS and Three CATALOGUES added thereunso

1 Of the Members of Parliament from the County of Anglesey
2 Of the High Sheriffs and
3 Of the Beneficed Clergy thereof

By HENRY ROWLANDS vicar of Llanjdam in the Isle of Anglesey.

DUBLIN
Printed by AARON M?? for ROBERT OWEN Bookseller in ??
MDCCXXll (1722)

SOURCE

The Gutenberg Press

2008-12-10T11:26:00.006-05:00

In this revealing documentary, Stephen Fry investigates the story of one of the most important machines ever invented - the Gutenberg Press.

The printing press was the world's first mass-production machine. Its invention in the 1450s changed the world as dramatically as splitting the atom or sending men into space, sparking a cultural revolution that shaped the modern age. It is the machine that made us who we are today.

Stephen's investigation combines historical detective work and a hands-on challenge. He travels to France and Germany on the trail of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press and early media entrepreneur. Along the way he discovers the lengths Gutenberg went to keep his project secret, explores the role of avaricious investors and unscrupulous competitors, and discovers why printing mattered so much in medieval Europe.

But to really understand the man and his machine, Stephen gets his hands dirty - assembling a team of craftsmen and helping them build a working replica of Gutenberg's original press. He learns how to make paper the 15th-century way and works as an apprentice in a metal foundry in preparation for the experiment to put the replica press through its paces. Can Stephen's modern-day team match the achievement of Gutenberg's medieval craftsmen?

10 minutes

10 minutes

10 minutes

10 minutes

10 minutes

9 minutes

Philadephia Rare Books & Manuscripts

2008-09-03T18:13:00.013-05:00

I have heard and seen various mentions of the Philadelphia Rare Books and Manuscript Company. But I have never seen their website - until today. WOW. They have tons of old and rare books.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary Published in 1773.

Introduction to the Dictionary as written by Samuel Johnson in 1773

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary - Published in 1786 - 8th edition

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe - Published 1790

Not forgetting Leigh Hunt...
An author requested by Helene Hanff from 84 Charing Cross Road.
published 1801

Aristophanes Published in 1783

Vaulted Treasures of the University of Virginia

2008-01-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

I found a whole website with LOTS and LOTS of pictures of old and rare MEDICAL books and title pages.
Vaulted Treasures.

Here are some of my favourites.

Galen, …De naturalibus facultatibus libri tres. 1537

Galen Page

Galen, In aphorismos Hippocratis commentarii septem… 1554

Liber canonis medicine. [Venetiis: In edibus Luce Antonii Junta, 1527.]

Avicenna Page

Hippocratis coi medicorum omnium longe principis, opera quae apud nos extant omnia. Lugduni: Apud Ant. Vincentium, 1555.

Hippocrates page

Life and Works of Confucius

2007-12-29T17:39:00.000-05:00

VERY LARGE FILE
Life and Works of Confucius
by Prospero Intorcetta, 1687
Deism - Wikipedia
see The Discovery of Diversity Chapter

Codex Gigas or The Devil's Bible

2007-12-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

Codex Gigas (PDF)

Codex Gigas (Wikipedia)

Mon Sep 24, 2007
CBC - Return of the Devils Bible to Prague draws crowds

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil's Bible - a medieval manuscript said to have been written 800 years ago with the devil's help - has returned to Prague after an absence of 359 years. And Czechs were eager to see it, officials said.

The priceless piece, considered the biggest medieval book, was taken from the Prague Castle by Swedish troops at the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648. It is in Prague on loan from Sweden's Royal Library in Stockholm. It was put on display last week under high security at the Czech National Library.

Its return to Prague for the exhibition, which runs through Jan. 6, was made possible after years of negotiations between Czech and Swedish diplomats, National Library spokeswoman Katerina Novakova said.

"We expected big interest from the public," Novakova said. "Now, we are 100 per cent full."

Only 60 people an hour can enter an air-conditioned room in the library's medieval complex for a 10-minute look at the manuscript, which is inside a specially designed, unbreakable case, she said.

According to myth, a Benedictine monk promised to write the book overnight to atone for his sins. When he realized the task was impossible, he asked the devil for help. The page with the illustration of the devil is the one visitors see.

The manuscript was likely written by one monk from the Benedictine monastery in Podlazice located some 100 kilometres east of Prague sometime at the beginning of the 13th century, said Zdenek Uhlir, a specialist on medieval manuscripts at the National Library.

It contains "a sum of the Benedictine order's knowledge" of the time, including the Old and New Testament, "The War of the Jews" by the first-century historian Josephus Flavius, a list of saints, or a guideline how to determine the date of Easter, Uhlir said.

"I would estimate it took him between 10 and 12 years to write," he said about the piece, which weighs 75 kilograms. Originally, it had 640 pages, of which 624 survived in relatively good condition, he said.

The book was transported to the Czech Republic in a military plane. Authorities would not give any details about security measures adopted at the library. It has previously been displayed in New York and Berlin.

Latin Bible - Genesis through Ruth 1550

2007-05-25T19:22:00.000-05:00

Biblia Graeca et Latina. 1550.
By Nicholas Brülinger, in Basel, Switzerland.
Not a complete Bible.
As issued, this volume contains only the books of Genesis through Ruth.

Source - A Student with an Antiquarian Taste in Books

The Psymon Bindery

2007-05-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

An Explanation of the Fashion and use of three and fifty Instruments of Chirurgery by Ambrosius Pareus
London Printed for Michael Sparke 1631

Source - Psymon Bindery. This is quite simply the most breathtaking website with an Antiquarian Books theme that I have ever seen.

Here is the Incunabula section. If you click on the Curiosities, you will see an entire page of Antiquarian Title pages such as those I find for this blog. The Chirurgery book shown at left can be found in this section. The Masterpieces and the Milestones sections are also packed full of interesting Title Pages.

I wish I could have designed a website as gorgeous as this one

Author: James A. Cooke of Warwick.
Title: Mellificium Chirurgiae; or, The marrow of Chirurgery, With the anatomy of human bodies according to the most modern anatomists, illustrated with many anatomical observations, Institutions of physick, with Hippocrates's aphorisms…(and so on).
Published - London: Joshua Phillips, 1700.

Source - The Marrow of Chirurgery - Before and After Restoration

The practice of Chirurgery is an early form of medicine, midwifery, dentistry and surgery, especially battle surgery. It was practiced primarily by men in Europe during the middle ages and in the new colonies of America. It may have been the reason for women being prosecuted as witches because they followed the old skills of midwifery and herbal folklore.

Old Books from the Netherlands

2007-05-13T07:39:00.000-05:00

The Works of Flavius Josephus in Dutch.

Josephus Flavius Opera omnia,
Pieter Mortier (1661-1711) Editor,
Amsterdam 1704

From Jacob van Maerlants Rijmbijbel (Bible in rhyme)
(1271) The golden age of Dutch manuscript painting.

One of the most impressive achievements of Dutch manuscript painting is the creation of a continuous cycle of illustrations for the Bible translation known as the Dutch History Bible.

Source - Collection of Old Books

And still more interesting Title Pages

2007-05-11T20:44:00.000-05:00

Ladies Diary or Woman's Almanack 1751

John Cary

Great Roads Map Of England and Wales

Published in 1798

The History of the Rise and Fall of Masaniello
The Fisherman of Naples

By T Midon

Published in London 1729

Historia

By Carlo Denina of Crete University

Published in Venice 1784

Thomas Paine advocated the removal of the Monarchy

2007-05-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

The Gentlemans Calling

1660

This version was printed in 1559

But a 1561 printing has the following details
Bernard Salomon OT images
Quadrins historiques
La Sainte Bible, A Lyon, Par Jean de Tournes. 1561
Not in Cartier

Fingal Epic by James MacPherson
Published in London 1762
The Ossian Poems were claimed by MacPherson to be stories from the 3rd century, but actually MacPherson wrote these epics himself.
1758 The Highlander
1762 Fingal: an Ancient Epic Poem in Six Books
1763 Temora, an Epic Poem, in Eight Books
MacPherson
The Ossian Poems Online

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Published in London in 1776

Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

The Ladies Complete Letterwriter 1765

Ben Jonson, Belisarius and Benjamin Franklin

2007-05-06T06:03:00.000-05:00

M. T Cicero's

Cato Major or His Discourse of Old Age

With Explanatory notes

Printed and Sold by Benjamin Franklin

Philadelphia 1744

Belisarius A Play

Published in Philadelphia 1770

Belisarius was Emperor Justinian's Roman Army General around 550 AD. He was married to Antonina, and she was close to Empress Theodora. All four are written about extensively in The Secret History by Procopius - of which there are several good modern translations available. Two publishers that I have read are Penguin and The Folio Society.

The Antidote

Thomas L'Escot

A French Medical book

Rationale Divinorum Officiorum 1568

The Alchemeist A Comedy
A Play by Ben Jonson
First Acted in 1610
This Copy Published in 1739

Please note this is a VERY LARGE file.

13th Century
Johannes de Sacrobosco

Paradise Lost - Milton 1669

2007-05-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

John Milton
Paradise Lost : A poem in ten Books.
London : Printed by S. Simmons, and are to be sold by T. Helder at the Angel in Little Brittain, 1669.
The first edition of Paradise Lost appeared in different impressions dated 1668 and 1669, but it is now believed that some copies like this with the later date were actually issued first. The poem is better known in twelve book form, a change implemented from the second edition onwards.

Adopt A Book

Some Interesting Pages

2007-04-27T04:49:00.000-05:00

Geographia by Strabo - 1469

Silence Dogood Letters written by Benjamin Franklin
Published in the New England Courant 1722

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/courant/silencedogood.htm
The Silence Dogood letters transcribed

Stephanus - Greek New Testament 1550

Poems written by Will Shakes-peare Gent

Luca Pacioli

(Robert Burton.) THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY, What It Is with All the Kindes, Causes, Symptomes, Prognostickes, and Severall Cures of It- Philosophically, Medicinally, Historically, Opened and Cut Up. By Democritus Junior [pseud.]-. J. Lichfield & J. Short for H. Cripps., Oxford, 1621.

Current Selling Price
$20,000-$35,000 /£10,000-£17,000

John Leland - Kings Antiquarian

2007-04-25T20:25:00.000-05:00

While John Guillim was commendable in writing a book on heraldry, his book is not yet available as a whole.

John Leland (on the other hand) was more well known as an Antiquarian. Indeed, Leland was (and still is) the ONLY man to ever be named as the Kings Antiquarian.

John Leland was born in London about 1506, educated at St Paul's School, London, and at Christ's College, Cambridge. He seems to have been a difficult character. After lowly posts as a tutor, he was made Royal Librarian at Windsor, then 'King's Antiquary' to Henry VIII, 1533. This post never existed before or since. Leland had orders to search every college and religious house in the country for rare manuscripts for Henry VIII's library; or rather, perhaps, for evidence to enable Henry to reunite to the crown goods which churchmen held of it; this is the time of the second wave of commissioners closing down religious houses; these are the final days of the Middle Ages.

Leland travelled through England, and later wrote a book about the Antiques he discovered after the Dissolution of the Monastaries in 1539-1540. His book is still available - although these days it is more of an antiquarian book itself.

The Itinerary of John Leland Antiquary, in Nine Volumes. Oxford, 1769-70.

John Leland’s Itinerary was begun in 1538 at the request of Henry VIII. The antiquarian provided an illuminating record of the state of towns, villages, and the remains of monastic communities in the process of dissolution. Leland’s work influenced antiquarians and historians for centuries to come. That did not prevent John from repeating the oft told stories.

"Along on the left honde, ? miles of betwixt Milburne and Feribridge, i saw the woodd and most famous forest of Barnsdale, where thay say that Robyn Hudde lyvid like an outlaw." Itinerary, V.101.

Pictures of Old Books - Title Pages. Excellent site

2007-04-23T05:42:00.000-05:00

Found an excellent site for Old Title Pages - Liam's Pictures from Old Books.
For example - here is the Title Page from John Leland the Antiquary.
A Second Edition published in 9 Volumes in 1745.
And Here is Volume 1, Page 1

John Gullim Display of Heraldrie - 3rd Edition

2007-04-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

I managed to find a copy of the Title Page of the 3rd edition - published in 1638.

The more I find on this book, the more it fascinates me.
The first edition had a grandiose cover - as per the below post.
By the 3rd edition the cover was just plain text with no pictures.
By the last edition (the second 6th edition - 1724 - see below post) the cover was still plain text, but at least had a bit more colour.

Also found a sample page from the 3rd edition as well.

Display of Heraldrie census - some notes

2007-04-19T21:17:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking more and more about that John Guillim Heraldrie book I mentioned last week.

I've discovered that as many as six or more editions were published, and possibly several reprints as well. I would be curious to know how many copies of this book were made, and how many still exist.

And I'm also curious to know if any recent editions have ever been published - other than the website online, which is not yet finished.

The Display of Heraldry was written around 1610 and reprinted as early as 1611. There were six or seven further editions of the book following Guillim's death, with the last one being printed in 1724.

Here is the List of Editions of Guillim's Display of Heraldrie as seen in the catalogue of the British Library.

First Ed 1610
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
pp. 284. Printed by William Hall, and are to be sold by Raphe Mab: London, 1610. fol.

First Ed reissue 1611
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
[A reissue.]. A Display of Heraldrie, etc. [With uncoloured illustrations.]
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
Printed by William Hall for Raphe Mab: London, 1611. fol.

2nd Edition 1632
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Second edition. .... Together with the termes of hawking and hunting. [Edited by R. Mab.]
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
London, 1632. fol.

3rd Edition 1638
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Third edition ... enlarged, etc.. [With additions by Sir R. St.-George, Clarenceux.]
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
pp. 430. J. Blome: London, 1638. fol.

4th Edition 1660
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Fourth edition.. Corrected and much enlarged ... and now ... are added about three hundred new coats ... As also a true register of the blazons of all the Knights of the Garter as also of all the baronets from their first creation ... Faithfully collected by F. Nower, etc.
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
London, 1660. fol.

5th Edition 1664
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Fifth edition. Corrected, etc.. [The dedicatory epistle signed: R. Blome.]
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
London, 1664. fol.

6th Edition 1666
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Sixth edition.. Corrected and much enlarged ... with ... the Terms of Hawking and Hunting. And in this sixth edition are all the names and coats of arms of the Knights of the Garter, Knights Baronets and Knights of the Bath, etc.
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
London, 1666. fol.

5th Edition (sic) 1678/9
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Fifth edition,. to which is added a treatise of honour, military and civil ... by J. Logan, etc.
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
2 vol. London, 1679-78. fol.

6th Edition (sic) 1724
A Display of Heraldrie: manifesting a more easie accesse to the knowledge thereof than hath beene hitherto published by any, through the benefit of method, whereinto it is now reduced by the industry of J. Gwillim [or rather of J. Barcham, with the additions of J. Guillim]. [With coloured illustrations.] L.P.
Sixth edition .... with authorities from the Ashmolean Library, Sir G. Mackenzie, etc. with his Tract of Precedency ... To which is added, a treatise of Honour Military and Civil ... by J. Logan, etc.
GUILLIM. John. Rouge-Croix Poursuivant at Arms
5 pt. R. and J. Bonwicke, etc.: London, 1724. fol.

I also found a mention of an edition that was published in a few taverns in 1666.
I wonder if this was done before or after the Great Fire of London? (which began on Sept 2, 1666)

A display of herauldry [...] by John Guillim
Publisher: London : Printed by J.B. for John Williams at the Crown and Globe, and Joshua Kirton at the Kings Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard ; Humphrey Tuckey at the Black Spread-Eagle, and Francis Tyton at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet, 1666.

The Most Expensive Book sold in 2006

2007-04-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

The Most Expensive Book sold in 2006

William Shakespeare's First Folio of 1623 sold for $5.2 million US

I realise this is old news, but I want this in my blog - just for the record.

If Owen Gingerich can do a Copernicus Census, (see post below)
and someone else can do a Gutenberg Bible census,
then perhaps I can do a census as well.

Now which book shall I choose?
The First Folio or the Second?
Decisions, Decisisons.

Antiquarian Book Auction at Christies

2007-04-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

Philobiblos posted some details about the Book auction held at Christie's in NYC this week.
Quite a number of books were sold for 2 or 3 times their estimated value.

The highest amount paid for a book was $824,000. Lot 166
Sir Robert Dudley, Arcano del Mare. Florence: Giuseppe Cocchini for Jacopo Bagononi and Anton-Francesco Lucini, 1661. Second edition of this, "the first sea-atlas compiled by an Englishman, the first atlas to show the charts constructed on the Mercator projection, the first to show prevailing winds and currents in the principal harbors, and the first to give magnetic declination."

The next highest sale price as $779,200 Lot 148
J.F.W. Des Barres, The Atlantic Neptune, published for the use of the Royal Navy of Great Britain under the Directions of the Right Honble. the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. London, [1774-1779]. Four volume atlas of the eastern seaboard of America, described as "the most splendid collection of charts, plans and views ever published."

And the third highest sale was for $768,000 (see picture) Lot 349
Peter Martyr, The Decades of the newe worlde or west India, Conteyning the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and Ilandes lately founde in the west Ocean perteynyng to the inheritance of the kinges of Spayne.
Edited and translated into English by Richard Eden. London: William Powell, 1555. "First edition in English of the first collection of voyages printed in English, and the first work to contain narratives of English voyages."

Other interesting books sold included the following

THREE books by Johannes Kepler

Lot 294
Johannes Kepler, Astronomia nova ... seu physica coelestis, tradita commentariis de motibus stellae martis, ex observationibus G. V. Tychonis Brahe. [Heidelberg: E. Vögelin,] 1609. The first edition of Kepler's key work. Sold for $204,000.

Lot 295
Kepler, Harmonices mundi libri V. Linz: Johann Planck for Gottfried Tampach, 1619. Another key Kepler work, containing his third law of planetary motion. Sold for $144,000.

Lot 297
Kepler, Tabulae Rudolphinae, quibus astronomicae scientiae, temporum longinquitate collapsae restauratio continentur. Ulm: Jonas Saur, 1627. First edition of Kepler's astronomical tables, with the folding world map. Sold for $120,000.

Lot 243
Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English nation, made by Sea or over Land, to the most remote and farthest distant Quarters of the earth at any time within the compasse of these 1500 yeeres: Devided into three severall parts, according to the positions of the Regions whereunto they were directed. London: George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, Deputies to Christopher Berber, 1589. First edition of this great collection of English voyages, with the world map. Sold for $456,000.

Lot 217
Galileo, Dialogo... sopre i due massimi sistemi del mondo Tolemaico, e Copernicano. Florence: Gian Battista Landini, 1632. First edition of Galileo's defense of Copernicanism. Sold for $102,000.

Lot 174
The East-India Pilot, or Oriental Navigator, on One Hundred and Eighteen Plates: Containing a Complete Collection of Charts and Plans, &c., &c. for the Navigation not only of the Indian and China Seas, but of those also between England and the Cape of Good-Hope; Improved and Chiefly Composed from the Last Work of M. D'Apres de Mannevillette; with Considerable Additions, from Private Manuscripts of the Dutch, and from Draughts and Actual Surveys Communicated By Officers of the East-India Company A New Edition, Containing One Hundred and Five Charts. London: Robert Laurie and James Whittle, 1799. A collection of navigation charts "for navigating all the coasts which might be encountered between England and the East Indies. Also included were charts for navigating between England and the Cape of Good Hope." Sold for $144,000.

Did I mention that I LOVE antiquarian maps??

And finally - since I am still reading The Book Nobody Read - the following was a second edition of Copernicus's book that sold for $180,000

Lot 124
Copernicus, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium with Rheticus, De libris revolutionum Nicolai Copernici Narratio prima. Basel: Heinrich Petri, 1566. The second edition of Copernicus, this copy with a very interesting provenance (once owned by Henry Briggs, Henry Gellibrand and John Wells, all early English Copernicans).

Edmonton Journal

Some more Title Pages I like

2007-04-15T06:36:00.000-05:00

Sidney, Philip, Sir.
The works of the Honourable Sr. Philip Sidney, Kt.,
in prose and verse : in three volumes : containing,
I. The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia.
II. The defense of poesy.
III. Astrophel and Stella.
IV. The remedy of love; sonnets, &c.
V. The Lady of May : a masque.
VI. The life of the author.

3 vols. 14th edition. London
Printed for E. Taylor, A. Bettesworth, E. Curll, W. Mears, and R. Gosling, 1725.
Brown University Library

Elementos Euclid
Venecia, 1482 (Venice?)
Unknown Author

In 1509 Luca Paccioli published a Latin translation of Euclid's Elements.

Martin Luther. An den Christlichenn Adel deutscher Nation: von des Christlichen standes besserung. Durch yhn selbs gemehret vnd corrigirt. Wittenberg, 1520.

This copy is a second printing of a revised edition issued in the same year as the original.

From Harvard University Divinity School Library

Considered to be one of Luther's greatest Reformation treatises, in it he asserts his doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, challenges exclusive papal authority to interpret Scripture and to sanction councils, and calls on the secular nobility to reform the church. He then adds a list of particular ecclesiastical abuses that a reforming council should address. Written in June 1520 and first published in August of that year, it was one of the significant works that led to Luther's excommunication in early January 1521.

George Bickham c.1704-1771
Between 1750 and 1754 George Bickham, a noted penman and engraver, produced a series of maps. These were an exception to the orthodox style of map-making in that they were finely engraved picturesque views of the counties from a high vantage point and annotated with the names of towns and villages where he estimated their locations to be. With no attempt at accuracy these maps are nevertheless very appealing in their idealised depiction of the 18th. Century landscape. In 1796 they were re-issued as 'A Curious Collection of Bird's-eye Views'.
They are now quite rare.

Pope, Alexander. The Dunciad, variorum. With the prolegomena of Scriblerus. London, A. Dob, 1729.
Brown University Library

Title Page to The Twelfth Night,
from the Second Folio of William Shakespeare, 1632

Lupton Library, Univ of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The Russian “Gutenberg” Bible for sale at only $115, 000

2007-04-13T18:10:00.000-05:00

The Russian “Gutenberg” Bible.
The first Bible printed in Cyrillic 1581

Antiquariat Inlibris (Rare Books)
Vienna, Austria

First edition of the first Bible printed in Cyrillic type, a complete copy with stunning provenance. Printed by Ivan Fedorow, “founder of book printing and book publishing in Russia and Ukraine,” who left Lemberg and entered the service of the Prince of Ostrog. Konstantyn Ostrozhky was the most powerful magnate in Volhynia, one of the most influential figures in the Lithuanian-Ruthenian state and even a candidate for the Muscovite throne after the death of Tsar Fedor Ivanovich, the last member of the Riurykide dynasty, in 1598. The Ostrog Bible was prepared under the auspices of Konstantyn, who obtained from Moscow a copy of the manuscript Bible of Gennadius. He also collected Greek and Slavonic manuscripts, and with the help of “competent assistants…he tested the Slavonic text by the Greek and sometimes by the Latin, and substituted modern expressions for those which were obsolete or unintelligible, and corrected errors” (Darlow and Moule).
[...]
According to our knowledge, this is the only complete copy to appear in trade (or at auction) during the past decades. The last copy sold (Valuable Russian Books and Manuscripts, Christie’s, 30 Nov. 2006, lot 3, £22,800) lacked one page, and several leaves with missing text were supplied in manuscript, as was the case with all copies we managed to trace (including several in institutional libraries). Richly gilt binding with traces of restoration to corners and spine ends; a few leaves professionally remargined without touching text or loss to letters. Overall an extraordinarily good copy in its first binding with important provenance; one of the best-preserved copies in comparison with the numerous ones in institutional possession, and certainly the finest available from private hands for a very long time.

Asking Price - $115,000

For the complete details - see New York Book Fairs 2007

A DISPLAY OF HERALDRIE: by John Guillim (c1551 - 1621)

2007-04-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

A DISPLAY OF HERALDRIE: by John Guillim (c1551 - 1621)
Being a complete transcription of the first edition (1610) of this work.

Twenty-five years ago [now 30 years ago] I found this amazing book in a second-hand book shop (long since vanished) in Canterbury, England, where I was studying to be a teacher. I was fascinated by its subject matter, its antiquity (a first edition copy from 1611) and by the hand-painted illustrations. Even in those days, £12 ($17) seemed like a bargain price, although it was certainly the most money I had ever spent on a book!
[...]
Early in 2001 I decided that I should do what I could to share this book with the rest of the World Wide Web community because someone somewhere might want to read it. What you see here is a snap-shot of work in progress. I am not a fast typist and will only be transcribing in my spare time, so do not expect to see rapid progress. However, I am determined to see it through to completion!

This is obviously an unfinished work. I don't know if the entire book will ever be completed.
The reasons I have linked to this book are -
1 - because it is an antique book (And one I have never heard of either)
2 - one can read the language of William Shakespearee & Queen Elizabeth I
3 - the gorgeous illustrations

Arithmetick 1658

2007-04-10T22:52:00.000-05:00

Arithmetick 1658

The first really popular arithmetic in English was the 1542 Arithmetick: or, The Grounde of Arts written by Robert Recorde, author of The Whetstone of Whet. Note the "afterward" has a contribution by Englands famous alchemist and early mathematician, John Dee. This edition was printed in 1658.

Summa de Arithmetica - Luca Paccioli

2007-04-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

Luca Paccioli - Summa de Arithmetica, Geometrica, Proportioni et Proportionalita (Everything about Arithmetic, Geometry, and Proportion) printed in Latin in 1494

This Link has more pictures of various pages from the Summa Book.

Having just learnt about this Renaissance man LUCA PACCIOLI today, I did some more research. I cannot believe I never heard of this fellow before today. He apparently was known as the father of Accounting, because he was the first to write down the methods of Double Entry Accounting. As for me, I tried accounting, but never got past the Trial Balance. And while I am not a fan of mathematics, I do like reading about the History of maths & science.

Biography

More Book Title Pages

2007-04-08T06:27:00.000-05:00

More Title Pages that I like. Did I mention that I love maps too?

Les Oeuvres de Monsieur de Voiture, Nouvelle Edition. Paris: Chez la Veuve F. Mauger, 1691.

An Authentic Account of An Embassy From The King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China by George Staunton. Two Volumes in One. Philadelphia: Printed for Robert Campbell by John Bioren, 1799.

Descrittione Dell'Isola D'islanda [by] Di Tomaso Porcacchi 1620 One of the most beautifully engraved Italian island books of the sixteenth century, "L'Isole piu Famose del Mondo" [The most famous islands of the world] by Thomas Porcacchi (1530 - 1585) and engraved by Girolamo Porro. The first edition of this work was published in Venice in 1572.

The Ancient and Modern History of the Brethren by David Cranz, translated by Benjamin LaTrobe. London, 1780.

La Fontaine FABLES CHOISES, mises en vers par M. De la Fontaine. Paris, 1778.

Just some old Book Title Pages I found

2007-04-06T09:04:00.000-05:00

A few interesting Title Pages I found printed before 1800.

The Letters of Junius, Complete in One Volume. First American Edition. Philadelphia: Prichard & Hall, 1791.
From Larry Laster Books

The Gentleman's Calling by Richard Allestree (aka H.H. or Humphrey Henchman, Bishop of London). London: Printed for T. Garthwait, 1660. 6 1/8" tall.
From Larry Laster Books

Typographical Antiquities by Joseph Ames. London: W. Faden, 1749. 11 1/4" tall.
From Larry Laster Books

Observations on the Commerce of the American States by John Lord Sheffield. 6th Edition. London: J. Debrett. 1784.
From Larry Laster Books

Apparatus Biblicus. Tyrnaviae: Typis Collegii Academici Soc. Jesu., 1762
From Larry Laster Books

I love Antiquarian Books

2007-04-06T06:49:00.001-05:00

This blog will be mostly be links to websites about and pictures of Antique books and Book collections, also Library and other news items about Books.

I love Antiquarian Books. I love the look of them. I would probably love the feel of them too except that I have never SEEN a real antiquarian book, let alone touched one. But I have seen tons of pictures of them. I have never purchased such a book either - those prices are just so expensive. If I could afford to buy them, you can bet your bottom dollar I would be buying the original books. But instead I have to settle for buying other books that are written about antiquarian books instead.

Aaaah the Internet is such a wonderful thing. Without it I would not see, read about or even be aware of most of these ancient books that are carefully preserved in vaults, libraries and other private collections.