large, magnificent Benedictine Psalter

The text appears here in sepia ink in a large Renaissance rotunda hand, set forth to the point of our bracket above, illuminated and featuringa large miniature of King David filling the center of a large initial B. Along the bottom margin in three medallions are Saints Mark, Benedict (center bottom), and Laurence; the right margin has two additional medallion portraits of unidentified female figures. The margins are garnished with gilt and bright-colored flowers, among which hidesthe small image of a deer — “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God”?

•  Matted and under glass in an elegant 20th-century gilt frame, ready for hanging. We have not opened this to discover whether Psalm 1 continues (or Job concludes) on the other side of the leaf, but the suspicion must be, given the beauty and quality of the side showing, that this is a leaf that would benefit from double-glazing showcasing both sides.  (33296)

Comparing this set of parts to Field's collation we find one ad slip lacking in No. 19/20, but an extra (uncalled-for) one in No. 4. Four of the wrappers (Nos. 1, 2, 18, 19/20) contain different ads than those specified by Field, but clearly these are original and authentic (possibly states of the wrappers?).

•  Tooley, Coloured Plates (1979 ed.), 295–96; Field, John Leech on My Shelves, 130–37; Ray, Illustrator and the Book in England, 136.  The condition of the set is remarkably fine:  The first part has only the slightest wear at its extremities, but otherwise there is virtually no wear or soiling to the set. Housed in a quarter dark red morocco open-back slipcase with raised bands and an inner chemise, with some abrading to the slipcase.  (38151)

In this English printing, the text changes to a completely different typeface at p. 20.

•  ESTC T51670; Goldsmiths'-Kress 06815.   Recent marbled paper–covered boards, front board with printed paper label. Pages age-toned, first and last dust-soiled and last with a corner slimly chipped. An interesting attempt at rebutting some of the critiques of the diplomatic resolution of the Anglo-Spanish War.  (34402)

Binding:  Publisher's textured green cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped vignettes. All edges gilt.

•  NSTC 2A1051.   Binding as above, moderate rubbing to edges and extremities with top of spine pulled, gilt vignettes showing slight rubbing. Early pencilled ownership inscription in upper portion of first text page; some plate leaves a bit more age-toned than others or than text leaves. Overall both attractive and entertaining.  (37284)

•  Publisher's cream paper–covered boards, spines with stamped titles and heraldic rampant lion decorations; spines darkened (uniformly so), some spines chipped or scuffed. Preface and last text page of each volume with pencilled ownership inscription of J.C.B., dated 1923, except vol XV, marked as read in 1959 by J.D. Bowman. Vol. VI with newspaper clippings affixed to free endpapers, offset onto pastedowns. Vol. VIII with frontispiece separated and laid in, first few lower outer corners bumped, small pencilled marks of emphasis. Vol. IX with small scuff to front cover, small pencilled marks of emphasis, newspaper clipping affixed to back pastedown. Vol. XI with lower portion of one leaf torn away, with loss of portions of eight lines. Vol. XIII with front joint cracked and spine paper partially detached, reinforced some time ago with cellophane tape. Vols. XIV and XIX with back endpapers bearing inked and pencilled annotations. An enjoyably readable tour of famous lives in a “period” edition.  (33428)

This isnumbered copy 459 of a total of 503 printed (394 for sale in Great Britain, 104 for sale in America, and 5 special copies on vellum), signed B.G.G. on the limitation.

•  Publisher's quarter tan cloth and brown paper–covered sides, front cover and spine each with printed paper label; corners bumped, spine darkened, spine label chipped. Pages clean; edges deckle with a very few signatures uncut.  (33816)

For this miniature book she provides an essay about the Newbery printing firm, the origin and development of miniature Bibles, and the printing of Newbery's 1780 printing of The Bible in miniature, or a concise history of the Old & New Testaments. Tipped in on p. 3 is a leaf from that famous Thumb Bible, the leaf here being pp. 87–88.

The edition of this mini was limited to 125 (unnumbered) copies.

•  Disbound and Dispersed 168.5 (giving incorrect measurements and pagination).   Publisher's brown half-morocco with marbled paper sides. Fine copy.  (34814)

Provenance:  Early inked inscription of Francisci Rolland on title-page with another owner's signature scratched out; later in the “Palestine Institute” at the Pacific School of Religion (properly released).

Provenance:  From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear of both book and housing.

•  Adams A263; Mortimer, French 16th-Century Books, 3; Brunet, I, 77; Schreiber, Catalogue 37, no. 2; Dibdin, Greek and Latin Classics, p. 237; Hoffmann, Bibliographisches Lexicon der gesammten Literatur der Griechen, I, p. 32; Gruys Early Printed Editions (1518-1664) of Aeschylus, no. II-3 (p. 31-46). On Turnèbe, see: Renouard, Imprimeurs parisiens.   19th-century speckled calf, board edges with gilt zigzag rolls, all edges speckled red; recently rebacked, top edge darkened, boards worn with loss of most gilt, new endpapers with some discoloration and one pencilled phrase. Housed in a navy blue cloth clamshell case with two gilt red leather spine labels. Title-page and first few leaves affected by two unsuccessful leaf repairs leading to chipping, glue action, and a few tears; remainder of text with several pagination errors, a handful of spots, one edge tear from paper manufacture, and one waterstained bottom corner. Ownership label as above, a few leaves with light marks in pencil, one underline in ink.  (38365)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with bookplates of Fratelli Salimbeni (with shelving number) and of “G.P.C.” (with woodcut image of Pegasus and motto “Nec adversa retorquent”); front fly-leaf with early inked annotation “H.III.161" and lined-through (still partially legible) inscription “Bibliotheque Vallicellane”; title-page with early inked inscription “Petri Salvati - V.” surrounding printer’s vignette, and obscured inscription in lower portion. Later in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Adams A409; Brunet, I, 125; Renouard, Estienne, 68:22; Schreiber, Estiennes, 88.   Later vellum, spine with gilt-stamped red leather title-label and gilt-stamped blue leather publication label; vellum with minimal dust-soiling and traces of wear to extremities, two bottom-most spine compartments with later replacement (blank) vellum “labels,” one now starting to peel slightly. All edges stained blue. Bookplates and inscriptions as above; front free endpaper with later pencilled annotations (one giving incorrect Adams reference). One early inked marginal annotation. Pages gently age-toned, with intermittent minor foxing to margins; final leaf with small paper flaws in lower margin. An attractive copy of an interesting and significant volume.  (37916)

WorldCat lists no U.S. institutional holdings of this edition.

Provenance: From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Goldsmiths'-Kress 9103.0-1.   19th-century quarter diced brown sheep with marbled paper sides done in imitation of tree calf; spine gilt-stamped with title and decorative bands; corners bumped and leather lightly worn, foot of spine discolored from a now-absent label, red-inked onetime price note on fly-leaf, otherwise clean and fresh. Title-page with outer portion restored and one letter supplied; some occasional light spotting or staining but text really quite clean. A nice old book.  (37453)

•  Adams A475; Index Aurel. 102.349.   Contemporary vellum, worn and darkened, lacking ties. Hinges (inside) with insect damage causing partial opening, text block starting to pull away from spine. Front free endpaper with two inked ownership inscriptions, one dated 1620 and one 1898. Small area of worming to upper inner margins of about 40 leaves, minor and not approaching text. Scattered instances of early inked underlining and a very few marginalia, pages otherwise pleasingly clean. Ready for many more years of use!  (26501)

•  Medina, Mexico, 79191; Palau 6095; on Alcocer, see: Archivo biográfico de España, Portugal e Iberoamérica, fiche 23, frames 47–49.   Contemporary cockled vellum, lacking the buttons for its loops, and lacking also the engraving; a very few light stains to a very few pages. Actually, quite a nice copy of the text.  (36658)

Provenance: Title-page with early inked name “Timothy Tynell” in upper margin and ink smear to inner margin; early inked gift inscription (“J. Sadler given to him by W. Clanton”) between verses on p. 3.

•  ESTC T86344.   19th-century half calf over marbled paper, much worn and abraded with covers detached, last few leaves starting to separate, and leather partially lost over spine; an ex-library, reading copy worthy of rebinding — covers pressure-stamped by a now-defunct institution, title-page and several others rubber-stamped, back free endpaper with pocket. Lacking extensive (25 pp.) subscribers' list (only). Pages with light to moderate spotting and a few short edge tears, not touching text.  (17696)

The booklet includes on its final three pages “A short-title list of items exhibited in Some of Our Best Friends: Books Selected from Collections of Members of the Philobiblon Club, at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, 12 February – 9 May 1993,” and that is preceded on pp. 1–53 by a reprint of “A loan collection of decorative bindings, rare books, manuscripts, and other bibliographical specimens from the libraries of Philadelphia,” being the catalogue of an 1893 book exhibit at Philadelphia's Academy of the Fine Arts that partly led to the Club's formation. This is not a social history of the Club, but rather an excellent snapshot of its founding and centennial members' leading book interests.

•  New. Original tan wrappers. Saddle-stitched.  (35805)

James Lane Allen's depiction of Kentucky's people and culture won him the title of“Kentucky's first important novelist.” A Kentucky Cardinal and its sequel, Aftermath, were his third and fourth novels published.

Binding:  Publisher's hunter green cloth with gilt lettering and all-over decoration of foliage and cardinals to front board and spine. Fore- and bottom edges untrimmed; top edge gilt.

•  Bound as above; spine faded and light rubbing to rear board. Very minor crack at front hinge (inside) and another minor crack at gutter, p. 46; interior clean. A lovingly illustrated tale in a beautiful binding.  (37532)

The ESTC general note for this edition reads: “An edition ascribed to John Fell, Bishop of Oxford, of anonymous works all published separately between 1658 and 1678. The three forming the first part have special title pages; those in “The second part” have half titles only. The editor calls them “the genuine and only writings of our author” and mentions a number of spurious ones recently published.”

•  ESTC R20055; Wing (rev. ed.) A1082.   18th-century half calf and marbled paper–covered sides, much worn and rubbed, leather all but lost over corners and portions of paper lost; sewing loosening in early sections with text block starting to pull away from spine, mounting of tipped-in frontispiece partially split, first few leaves separating. Front pastedown with two institutional bookplates; lower (closed) edges, front free endpaper, frontispiece recto (not image), and back pastedown rubber-stamped. Title-page with early ownership inscription neatly inked in upper outer corner. One leaf (in preface to first work) with lower portion torn away, with loss of most of eight lines on each side; one leaf with short tear from lower margin extending into a few lines without loss; one leaf with lower outer corner torn, touching a few words without loss. Intermittent instances of light to moderate waterstaining to varying portions of leaves; two to three spots of pinhole worming throughout, sometimes touching individual letters without loss of sense, with spots slightly larger in beginning of second part. Last section with puncture hole affecting a few letters, not obscuring sense. Lower outer corners of a few leaves proud and bent in. Faults to be noted for sure, but complete except for the noted lines in that preface and a wholly useable copy of the main text by Allestree.  (35286)

Binding:  Publisher's apple green paper–covered boards in original matching slipcase with gilt-stamped spine title. All edges gilt.

•  Binding as above: lower front and back edges each with tiny bump, extremities showing very slight rubbing, slipcase with edges rubbed and a few small spots of discoloration. Front free endpaper with pencilled annotations in French. Pages and plates clean. Really in quite remarkable condition.  (30574)

•  This edition not in VD18.   Modern light brown paper-covered boards with paper spine label. Ex-library with faint blind-pressure stamp on title- and one other leaf and librarian's pencil notations on verso of title-page. Scattered foxing, occasional stray stain. Overall a good, solid, clean copy.  (33597)

Fray Antonio de Contreras, another Mercedarian, engraved the likeness of the elaborate cenotaph that the viceroy had constructed for the day honoring the late queen.The plate is large and folding.

The poems are romances, redondillas, sonnets, decimas, etc. One poem is even an example of concrete poetry and two others are in Portuguese! (by Antonio Alberto, and Juan Julian Capetillo de la Sota, who also supplied a poem in ENGLISH). The poets include Viceroy Jose Manso de Velasco; Nicolás Sarmiento de Sotomayor y los Ríos del Campo, IV conde del Portillo; various other nobles; and one woman, Josefa Brava de Lagunas y Villela.

Provenance:  19th-century bookplate of Guillermo Miguel Irarrazabal.

The number of “splendid ceremonies” books produced in colonial Peru is small: There is no census but we suspect the number to be fewer than nine.

Searches of NUC and WoldCat find only five copies in U.S. libraries, not all of them complete with the plate. Searches of WorldCat, COPAC, CCPB, and KVK locate only 4 other copies worldwide.

•  Medina, Lima, 1103; Vargas Ugarte, Impresos peruanos, 1736.   Contemporary limp vellum, lacking ties. Unidentified rubber-stamp on front free endpaper (smudged, indistinct). Repair to rear free endpaper and small repair to folding plate. Clean, crisp, unwormed. A very good copy.  (34629)