Some Interesting Pages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.