The text is written in one column of 50 lines on the recto and 51 lines on the verso. The leaf is faintly ruled in lead on the verso only, the impression of the ruling showing on the recto, the top line of text being above the top line of ruling; on the right edge of the page are double rules enclosing the first letter of each line. On the outer edge are prickings for the ruling. The left edge of the recto has directions to the rubricator, the explicits of each section being done in darker ink in a different hand. One line on the verso has been crossed out with a single thin line of ink. At the bottom of the verso is the quire number VIII and remnants of a catchword can just be seen at right on the bottom edge. English manuscripts from this period are rare.

Provenance: Ex–Zion Research Foundation (later known as the Endowment for Biblical Research); very likely to Zion from Ege.

•  Judith, Manuscripts Sacred and Secular, 18, f. 9. A small hole in the lower margin. Parchment a little soiled, especially on the hair side, as is not unusual with English vellum. Traces of adhesive from mounting on the corners of the verso.

All these works saw previous editions, and Proba’s Virgiliani centones were apparently very popular in the 16th century; the three are first found together in a Frankfurt edition of 1541. This is thesole Estienne edition of all three, though the Homerokentra were reprinted in Estienne’s editions of the works of Homer in 1588 and 1604. It is printed in small roman and Greek typefaces with the Estienne printer’s device on the title-page and a few woodcut headpieces.

Provenance: Handsome bookplate of American Classical scholar Thomas Day Seymour (1848–1907), best known for his works on Homer.

•  Renouard (2nd ed.), Annales de l'imprimerie des Estienne, 147; Adams H810; Schreiber 205; Soltész, Catalogus librorum sedecimo saeculo . . . in Bibliotheca Nationali Hungariae . . . H468. On Eudocia, see: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., IX, 881. On Nonnus of Panopolis, see: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., XIX, 737. Old calf with remnants of gilt barely visible, chipped and abraded especially on spine. Title-page lacking bottom edge, into imprint, rebacked with paper. Bookplate as above; two inked ownership inscriptions on title-page, second inked out. Light foxing and a few shallow dog ears.

biblical rulers

•   Sabin 58295; Medina, BHA, 1245; Peeters-Fontainas 1029; Palau 209622. Contemporary mottled sheep, spine gilt extra, with gilt-stamped leather title-label; corners, spine, and spine extremities a touch rubbed, otherwise pleasingly fresh. Front free endpaper with early inked inscription, front fly-leaf with early inked “Acto de contricion” affixed. Lacking additional engraved title-page. Final third of text block starting to pull away from spine, sewing still holding. Pages age-toned, with some instances of spotting and offsetting. All edges mottled to match binding.

•  VD17 39:118489Q. Recent speckled paper–covered boards, spine with printed paper label. Pages faintly age-toned, clean.

Provenance: Charles Spencer, Third Earl of Sunderland, lot 7230 in the Sunderland Library sale (1882).

•  On Lamy, see: New Catholic Encyclopedia, VIII, 354–55. 18th-century vellum over boards with raised bands, lightly soiled; on the covers an ornate mandorla inside a composite frame. Crack in the vellum along front joint, joint itself sound. Ex-library with paper labels on spine; old pressure-stamps, including one on title-page of vol. I. Upper outer corner of title-leaf lost taking part of one letter of title; small tear into printed border of first map in vol. II. All edges speckled blue and red. A stout, substantial volume.

•  On Lapide on his commentaries, see: DeBacker-Sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, IV, 1511–26. I: Contemporary alum-tawed leather over wooden boards; covers elaborately ruled and tooled in blind. Original leather and metal closures intact. Clean and crisp interiorly. II: As I, but with only remnants of the closures. III/IV: As I, but only one clasp intact and the other partially preserved. V: As I, clasps intact, small pieces of leather perished from front cover. Occasional soiling in upper margins. VI: As I, clasps intact, small piece of lower spine leather loosening. VII: Binding similar and harmonious to those of I through VI but with a black spine label and the lower spine compartment painted red and lettered in white with a shelf location; front joint starting to open at top but binding very strong; clasps intact.

A copy with underlining andextensive notes in English throughout: e.g., “For three things men’s sins are forgiven, special honor, sickness, weddings.”

•  Cowley, A Concise Catalog...Bodleian Library p. 298, 419; Steinschneider Catalogus Librorum, nr. 5545, 29. Marbled paper over cardboard, much rubbed and chipped; spine rebacked with heavy black tape. Rubber library stamp on bottom edge. Some staining and chipping and closely trimmed by binder, resulting in loss of letters at end or beginning of some lines. Notes in pencil, blue pencil, and ink as stated—evidence of use that to us makes this copy of the text more interesting, rather than less desirable!

•  Contemporary vellum over paste boards; spine with inked author and paper shelf labels: soiled with a few spots. Front hinge (inside) partially open, but sewing holding. Pages generally clean, with a few small dog ears. Inked ownership inscriptions on front endpapers and title-page; a few instances of underlining.

•  ESTC T117664. Contemporary speckled calf, covers separated; front cover sometime (home?)-stitched to spine and holding, back one once (later) held on by paper laid over spine and a portion of both covers, paper now considerably chipped away. Lacking endpapers; front pastedown with library bookplate, back pastedown with doodles. Pages age-toned, with some minor foxing.

•  Wallis, Newton, 328.1; ESTC T41883, T18642, N64145. Recent quarter calf over marbled paper, spine with raised bands; gilt-lettered and -ruled label from a previous binding retained, chipped about the edges. Bookplate on front pastedown. Some light waterstaining and some cockling, and a few leaves with shallow chipping or tattering; these, with good repairs. Ample margins. In sum a handsome book.

•  Contemporary calf, spine gilt and with red leather label. Leather dry and flaking, with loss over corners, joints open but sewing holding, chipping at head and foot of spine, and crack down center of spine: This volume could split. Ownership inscriptions in ink on front pastedown and reverse of frontispiece. Browning from turn-ins onto endpapers and fly-leaves; light to moderate foxing throughout. All edges speckled red.

References to “modern” times are slim to nonexistent; but Liebnitz appears (unfavorably). Also cited (and more approvingly) are Drs. Clarke, Sherlock, and Burnet — along with “Machiavel” on the nature of governments! Gil Blas is mentioned as a history that might be viewed as truth by the credulous ages hence; Shaftsbury, Voltaire, and Locke are treated of in the last pages.

•  Contemporary vellum, front cover with title inked in early hand; binding darkened, stained, and rubbed, with vellum cracked and peeling over spine. Sewing loosening; a number of leaves separated. Pages age-toned with minor offsetting; edges of first few leaves tattered, with the lower outer portion of the title-page chipped away.  (24623)

•  Rosenbach, Jewish, 131; Shaw & Shoemaker 5067. Not in Singerman Judaica Americana. Contemporary quarter sheep with paper-covered paste boards; heavily worn; joints open and covers almost detached. Early ownership signatures on front and rear pastedowns. Signature torn from upper outer corner of title-page, taking upper parts of three letters. Small Library of Congress duplicate release stamp on verso of title-page.

For a few more AMERICAN HEBREW
GRAMMARS &
        other JUDAICA/HEBRAICA,  click here.

Cruden, bookseller to Queen Caroline, dedicated his initial publication of his concordance to her. Unfortunately, she died two weeks later, and profits from the sale of the volume did not meet the author’s expectations; Cruden’s disappointment (and bouts of eccentric behavior) regardless, the DNB stresses that “his biblical labours have justly made his name a household word among the English-speaking peoples.”

The frontispiece portrait of the author was engraved by William Kneass.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 10233. On Cruden, see: The Dictionary of National Biography, V, 249–51. Contemporary sheep, spine with gilt-stamped leather title label; worn and abraded, leather cracking over spine. Front pastedown and free endpaper (partially separated) with stray pencil marks. Varying degrees of offsetting and spotting. One piece of dried plant material laid in.

retelling of Old and New Testament history as a series of conversations between an inquisitive pilgrim and various Biblical figures

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 10485. Contemporary speckled sheep, worn and abraded; back cover with slices to leather, title label on spine almost entirely rubbed away. One leaf torn; pages age-toned throughout, with staining/spotting. Back pastedown with calligraphy practice inked in an early hand.

This is the sole American edition. First printed in England in 1804.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 30564; NSTC W2651. Contemporary speckled sheep. Spines divided into compartments by double gilt rules with large red leather title labels and small round black volume labels, both edged with gilt fillets and gilt-lettered. Fine cracking to spines with shallow chipping from head and foot; edges rubbed, corners bumped. Pages with light browning around impression and on edges, with darker browning from turn-ins towards beginning and end of each volume. Large bite from rear free endpaper of vol. II; generally, text problem-free, with but a few shallow tears and chippings and a few light waterstains.

Click the interior image for an enlargement.

•  Parsons 655; Shoemaker 2272. Treed sheep, red spine label, gilt ruling on spine. Edges rubbed and abraded, refurbished; front joint and hinge expertly reinforced; now nice. Ex-Georgetown University with stamps on title-page; some old dog-ears and spots.

•  Parsons 680; Shoemaker 6058. Treed sheep, red spine label; gilt ruling on spine. Joints starting, edges rubbed and abraded. Foxed. Georgetown marks in pencil on front free endpaper.