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This particular choirbook was printed with 10 lines of text and music per page. Each leaf contains music and words, and is printed in black and red; text is in black, with an occasional small letter in red, and the music is provided for all the antiphons in black square notation on a four-line red staff. Antiphons begin with a tall decorative initial printed in red, as high as the text and music together. The initials vary from leaf to leaf.

•  Crisp, wide margined leaf with slightest bleed-through from one side to another. Printed on handmade paper of 100% rag. A marvelous display, accent, or gift item.

Although a number of leaves here are blank, the content is substantial, legible, and interesting. No dates are present in the text itself, but the paper bears a Dutch watermark related to Churchill 109–119, and was produced in the Seven Provinces ca. 1675–1700 and the recipes attributed to Beeton must date after 1861. Some of the handwriting and spelling is consistent with a date of 1730.

•  Contemporary vellum, rebacked, corners rubbed/bumped, front cover with now-illegible traces of inked ownership inscription, covers with spots of discoloration; hinges (inside) reinforced. First leaf excised (first recipe present numbered 2). Soiling (mostly at or in from edges) and moderate foxing/spotting, throughout.  (25630)

Diego Bringas de Manzaneda y Encinas was a Franciscan and his epitome of Abad's work is written in “octava rima”: as such it holds an important place in Mexican colonial-era poetry, especially in the subgenre of Christian poetry.

The work's chief themes are the Immaculate Conception and the attributes of God, but it also delves into the relation of science and our understanding of the cosmos: Newton and Huygens are specifically mentioned in the section on knowledge.

•  Palau 258 & 35854; DeBacker-Sommervogel, I, 3; Medina, Mexico, 7400.   Contemporary vellum over light boards. All edges green. A very nice copy of a significant work of early Mexican poetry, religion, and, at points, science.  (29433)

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for an enlargement.

The third volume includes two plates and one oversized, folding plate reproducing two inscriptions and a frieze, engraved by E. Malpas.

Uncommon outside of Great Britain.

•  ESTC T113913; Brunet, I, 26; Lowndes, I, 5. Contemporary treed calf, spines gilt extra, with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels; leather worn at edges and moderately rubbed with joints cracking. Front pastedowns with private bookplates and signs that a plate was removed on front free endpaper (one vol. endpaper holed); impressions of old pencilled shelf numbers on title-pages (and one lightly inked old date). First two leaves of vol. III with upper margins stained and final leaf browned; some pages with a few spots of faint foxing, most clean and crisp.

Provenance:  Owner's gilt-stamped initials (E.C.K.) on upper cover.

•  ESTC T84696; Gaskell 14.   Original speckled calf with covers double-ruled in gilt, gilt-stamped “E.C.K.” as above, and gilt board edges; spine with raised bands and red morocco spine label; red edges faded to a dusty pink, and a green silk marker. Joints (outside) a little weak, starting; extremities bumped and worn, at points exposing boards; small scar from repair to rear board leather. Light offsetting from binding onto endpapers and from some of the plates to leaves opposite; mild foxing and a little staining; one marginal annotation in ink.A nice copy, overall, of a book interesting for multiple reasons.  (30066)

•  ESTC T88657; Dibdin, I, 232; Schweiger, I, 2. Contemporary vellum-covered boards, covers framed and panelled in blind with central blind-stamped strapwork medallions, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels; front joints repaired and now strong, vellum soiled. Front free endpapers with early inked owner's name as above; shadow of shelf number once pencilled on title-page, erased. Spotting of various sorts and minor smudging in upper margins of some pages; leaves otherwise clean.