The volume is printed in a clear roman face with numerous ornamental woodcut initials and with side- and shouldernotes. The Jean Petit publisher’s device is on the title-page and that of Guy Marchand on the verso of the last. Additionally, there is a full-page woodcut of a scholar in his study opposite the first numbered leaf. A 16th-century reader has added a significant amount of marginal commentary on the text.

•  Moreau 1509:127; Panzer, VIII, 537, no. 324; Adams L13. Not in Schweiger. Recent calf old style, tooled in blind on spine and covers. Faint traces of water and resultant mild arrested mildew in lower outer corners of earliest few pages. Marginalia in some parts affected by a binder’s trimming; in other cases, not. All edges carmine. A very good copy.

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Basel printer Henricus Petrus (Sebastian Henric Petri, 1546–1627) was responsible for the publication of very important works, including an early edition of Copernicus and Münster's Cosmographia, the first German description of the world. He printed this Latin and Greek, later edition of Lactantius's opera with the main text in roman, single column; the extensive commentary by Birk in italic, double column; the indices triple-column; and the whole text punctuated by handsome historiated and floriated woodcut initials of various sizes, some quite large. There are onewoodcut diagram showing the opposition of Light (God) and Dark levels of the universe andmultiple letterpress charts. The title-page features the printer's device, a variant of which also appears on the final verso.

This is the first appearance of this commentary byXystus Betuleius (Sixt Birk, 1501–54), a corrector for the Basel printers and a teacher at various schools who composed German and Latin didactic dramas; commentaries on Lactantius (this) and Cicero; and a concordance of the Greek New Testament. An associate of Erasmus, he witnessed Erasmus's first will, in 1527.

•  Adams L27; VD16 L42; Graesse, IV, 66. Not in Schweiger or Brunet. On Lactantius, see: New Catholic Encyclopedia, VIII, 308–09. On Birk, see: Contemporaries of Erasmus, pp. 150–51.   Recent full brown morocco blind-ruled, old style; raised bands on spine accented with gilt ruling, author and title gilt in second compartment and date collector style at spine base, edges lightly speckled brown. Mild foxing on some leaves; limited, very light old waterstaining in latter half, this rising on a few leaves to “moderate” and being virtually all marginal; a few small stains from chemical reactions in paper. One marginal oxidized inkstain, slim but dark, offset onto next neighboring pages (only); two very small tears in last leaf. There is one short paragraph of contemporary inked marginalia on one leaf, and one instance of underlining on another.  (31312)

Recipes here include such delights as the Merry Widow Cocktail (crab meat, asparagus tips, and mayonnaise in sherbet glasses surrounded by cracked ice), puree of artichokes soup, “Matzo Kloese” (alternately titled Cracker Balls), chicken mousse, cheese timbales, prune whip, apple cake, etc., with coffee making appearances in a number of dishes. In addition to the generally American and occasionally Jewish dishes, there are a few recipes identified as Spanish, Italian, Mexican, and even (in one case) Japanese; the book overall is distinctly not kosher, featuring an abundance of shellfish recipes and even a handful of instances of ham. Recipe sections are separated by blank pages for notes.

•  Not in Brown, Culinary Americana.   Publisher's cream buckram, front cover with title stamped in black-letter; cloth slightly smudged and darkened (especially spine), back cover with two small rings of discoloration. Back pastedown with small ticket of San Francisco bookseller. Pages faintly age-toned, otherwise clean.  (31117)

The document is addressed to the fourth provincial council, called by Archbishop Lorenzana, and is a plea on behalf of the nuns to not change how things are done and administered in the nunnery, to not introduce innovations.

Guatemalan by birth, Guevara (d. 1804) studied civil and canonical jurisprudence at the Tridentine Seminary in Mexico, where he graduated from the university and became a lawyer at the royal court. One ofthe leading lawyers in Mexico, he ascended quickly to high office, and was appointed governor in absence of the viceroy four times; according to Beristain, he was called the “American Ulpian” (after the Roman jurist) by at least one contemporary.

•  Palau 129542; Medina, Mexico, 5451; Beristain, II, p. 61.   Recent marbled paper over boards, title and author gilt on green leather spine label, new endpapers. Short, shallow instance of insect gnawing at fore-edge of first ten leaves and very limited, minor worming throughout along with mild to moderate mostly marginal speckles of foxing; light waterstaining at fore-edge of some pages and occasional inkstains or smudges; one corner of textblock bumped or “creased across” (with no tearing) and another corner just bumped. A copy not “fine” but definitely worth having.  (31197)

Click the interior image for an enlargement.

The Abbé Ladvocat, librarian of the Sorbonne and a prominent Hebraist and Biblical exegete, also compiled the Dictionnaire géographique-portatif and a Grammaire Hébraïque à l’usage des Ecoles de la Sorbonne.

Binding:  Contemporary vellum, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels and gilt-stamped compartment decorations.

•  Quérard, La France littéraire, IV, 387.   Some volumes somewhat sprung and spines slightly darkened, one spine label chipped (refurbished) and one spine with small area of insect damage. Front free endpapers each with inked ownership inscription dated 1833, front pastedowns each with institutional rubber-stamp (no other markings). Occasional small early inked shouldernotes, scattered light to moderate foxing and spotting. Pp. 181–88 of vol. IV bound in upside down and in reverse order. One leaf with closed tear from upper margin, just extending into text. (20682)

Uncommon: WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 locate only three U.S. institutional holdings. The publication information comes from the colophon.

•  Later plain paper wrappers, front wrapper with paper shelving label in lower inner corner and pencilled initials in upper outer corner. Intermittent faint staining and spotting; one leaf with ragged lower margin.  (30934)

This is the 40-page variant (Martin and Walter note a 35-page printing), with a warning on the final page regarding pirated, incorrect versions of the piece.

•  Martin & Walter, III, 18722 (variant ed.).   Removed from a nonce volume, first signature separated. Title-page with paper shelving label in lower corner, touching one letter of publication line, and with pencilled monogram in upper outer corner; also with short tear from lower margin, not touching text. Pages age-toned and lightly spotted; shouldernotes (only) occasionally shaved and price reduced for this reason.  (30826)

true first edition of the unofficial second series

The first series made its first appearance in book form in London, 1823. The authorized second series was not published until 1833, under the title The Last Essays of Elia; the pieces selected for the unauthorized American second series offered here are different from those contained in that volume, and mistakenly include three essays written by other hands.

•  Shoemaker 33813 & 33814; NCBEL, III, 1225; NSTC 2L2346.  Vol. I: Uncut copy. Publisher's quarter once-red cloth and paper sides, covers printed with “Elia” within a simple frame, spine with printed paper label; binding rubbed and lightly soiled, spine sunned to yellow. Repaired tear to one leaf, touching text without loss; remarkably clean and sound. Vol. II: Contemporary speckled sheep, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label; rubbed, and head of spine chipped with old refurbishing. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplate and call number ticket on front pastedown, front free endpaper with inked numerals, title-page pressure-stamped. Author's name inked on title-page; front free endpaper and title-page reinforced at fore-edge (the latter from the back). Both volumes age-toned, with intermittent spots of staining; advertisements absent. The set now housed in a quarter blue morocco and blue cloth–covered clamshell case with marbled paper–covered sides and gilt-stamped spine.  (26434)

Click the image for an enlargement.

•  Good; spine gently faded with gilt dulled, corners and extremities lightly worn. Front free endpaper with pencilled gift inscription dated 1868. Plates somewhat darkened.  (1916)

Uncommon: WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 locate only three U.S. institutional holdings of this particular Instruction.

•  Martin & Walter 19033.   Removed from a nonce volume. Title-page with paper shelving label, touching the first few letters of the publication line, and with inked numeral and pencilled monogram in upper outer corner. Page edges untrimmed; pages slightly age-toned.  (30825)

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.

Bound with Lancellotti's work is a summary of titles of chapters of canon law compiled by Thomas Naogeorg (1508–63). Naogeorg's wanderings took him from being a Dominican to being a Lutheran to being a Calvinist. Along the way, during his Lutheran phase, he studied canon law for a year (1551) at Basel, during which time he compiled and published this work, likely as a student's guide. He is better known for his plays, in which he sharply attacks the Papacy.

The two works here were first published by the firm of Guillaume Rouillé, in 1587 and 1588 respectively, and may have been intended to be bound together, as witnessed by the Library of Congress copy. The title-page transcriptions of the earlier editions (except for the date and "hæredes"), and their signatures, pagination, and arrangement, match those of these present 1614 editions. There are italic shouldernotes, and woodcut headpieces and initials.

•  On Lancellotti, see: New Catholic Encyclopedia, VIII, 356. Contemporary calf, covers framed in gilt double fillets, rebacked with calf, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-stamped compartment decorations; corners and edges rubbed, sides with small cracks and scuffs. All edges speckled brown. Bouquiniste's paper label on front pastedown and front free endpaper lacking. Two words inked long ago in two margins, and one page with old pencilled underlining. (3797)

The elegant frontispiece is a portrait of Mrs. Fitzherbert by J. Broum after Richard Cosway, R.A. (1742–1821), the famous miniaturist who painted her on numerous occasions and whose portraits of her were so admired by her husband the King, that he took one to his grave.

Binding:  Full later brick red calf by Root & Son, double-ruled in gilt with leafy flowers in the board corners and in four of six spine compartments; gilt title, etc., on black morocco lettering pieces in the remaining spine compartments. Gilt-rolled board edges and turn-ins; mottled amethyst and emerald endpapers and a red silk marker.

•  On Mrs. Fitzherbert, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Bound as above, spine a little scratched. Small tear repaired in margin of frontispiece and a bit of paper supplied to repair one lower inner margin; insignificant little nicks to a very few sheets, and a crease in one lower outer corner. Clean, LOVELY.  (30075)

Provenance: Bookplate of Thomas Longley (Hawley).

We find seven copies reported in libraries, ALL between Worcester/Providence and Washington, D.C.

•  Evans 35710; Trumbull, Connecticut, 2313; ESTC W3365. Old calf with remnants of black leather spine label; leather with one gouge to back cover and a bit abraded overall. Tear and chip to front free endpaper; title-page with tiny edge tears. Small wormhole at base of initial three leaves, not touching print. Some leaves extruded with shallow tattering. Bookplate as above on front free endpaper. Offsetting from leather of cover and a brown blot or stain at outer margin of title- and following page; same offsetting to last leaves; some general staining and an ink "x-mark" in margin of one other page. This seems to have been read with enthusiasm! (20994)

•  American Imprints 46-3993; NSTC 2L4514. Recent black moiré silk, spines with gilt-stamped leather title-labels. Vol. II half-title and title-page with faint spots of waterstaining, pages otherwise clean. A very nice example of one of the best-selling scientific works of its time. (30342)

The text is in French printed in roman and italic, with woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces as above. The last leaf contains a table of faults to be corrected in the second edition, as advertised in the printer's preface to the reader.

“The greatest maxim writer of France, one of her best memoir writers, and perhaps the most complete and accomplished member of her ancient nobility,” François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (1613–80) caused outrage and offense among old friends when his cynical memoirs were surreptitiously published. Returning to court in Paris after years retired at his country estate, La Rochefoucauld quickly disavowed the memoirs; but at least a third of the work is his (EB, 11th ed.). The most genuine version of his memoirs were not printed until 1804.

•  Cioranescu, II, 40267; Barbier, Ouvrages anonymes, III, 204; E. Weller, Falschen und fingierten Druckorte, II, 16; Brunet, III, 848; Graesse, IV, 109; Willems 1997; Tchemerzine, IV, 25a; Marchand 2.   Contemporary calf, covers framed in gilt double fillets with gilt-tooled fleuron corner decorations; round spine, raised bands accented with gilt beading, title gilt in one compartment and delicate tooling in the others; gilt turn-ins and bright red edges, marbled endpapers. Extremities rubbed of old, bands included; leather lighter where neighboring books protected it from sun while shelved, that of spine cracking down center though the volume is not splitting. A very little mild foxing in places. Intermittently, lines and passages marginally highlighted in light pencil.  (30913)

Binding:  Publisher's blue cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and train vignette stamped in black and gilt, vignette extending onto spine.

•  Binding as above, extremities very slightly rubbed, spine dimmed. Light waterstaining to inner margins of front fly-leaf and half-title, otherwise clean. A volume “got up,” given its content, with remarkable style and charm!  (29124)

Provenance: Title-page stamped by a private collector: “Thomas Witherell Palmer, Log Cabin Park” (Detroit).

•  Contemporary half calf with marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and ornate gilt-stamped decorations within compartments; binding with light to moderate rubbing overall, with spine leather starting to show some cracking. All edges stained red. Delightful reading and looking, and a delightful copy.

•  Publisher's paper wrappers, front wrapper stamped in black and blue; spine and edges very slightly sunned. A nice copy.  (32655)

This isone of 183 copies total, signed on the half-title by the author.

•  Two Decades of Hamady & the Perishable Press, 32.   Publisher's navy and white patterned paper–covered boards, front cover with blind-stamped and printed paper title-label. A crisp, clean copy.  (31277)

Uncommon: WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 locate only two U.S. institutional holdings of this 1671 edition, one of which was deaccessioned and is in fact this copy.

•  Contemporary mottled sheep framed in blind double fillets, recently rebacked with complementary calf, spine with raised bands and blind-tooled compartment decorations; edges and extremities rubbed, sides with old scuffs. Title-page and first text page with institutional perforation-stamp, title-page also with pencilled annotation as above, first text page with rubber-stamped numerals in lower margin, no other markings. Pages clean.  (31049)

•  Wellcome, III, 458; Garrison-Morton 154; ESTC T139902; Lowndes II, p.1321 (“a sumptuous edition”); Osler, Bib. Osleriana, p. 283, no. 3178; Bentley Blake Books 481; Ryskamp, William Blake, Engraver, 22. On the parts, see: Arents Collection of Books in Parts, p. 74.   Contemporary calf ruled and tooled in gilt and blind with gilt board edges and gilt turn-ins, rebacked old style; marbled edges, and blue silk marker in all volumes. Extremities rubbed and corners bumped with small loss to leather. At least one small marginal tear in each volume; offsetting from letterpress on a few leaves; very mild to quite moderate foxing (or none) on illustrations, offset onto surrounding leaves; and other occasional minor stains. Most plates protected by tissue. A monument of labor, art, and excellent “system” devoted to an exploded but fascinating theory; in fact, a wonder.  (30974)

Elizabeth Webb, "an acknowledged minister among the people called Quakers," first encountered Prince George of Denmark's chaplain Boehm while on a visit to Great Britain; the missive with which she opened her subsequent correspondence with him, here, greatly inspired him and a number of his friends.

Provenance: With inscription reading "Miss Hannah Amelia Moore / Book a Present from her worthy / Friend Ruth Patton / 1789."

This is numbered copy 538 of 2000 printed, and wassigned by the artist at the colophon. The appropriate LEC newsletter and prospectus are laid in, in the original envelope.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 493.   Binding as above, spine with printed paper label, in original glassine wrapper and paper-covered slipcase with printed paper spine label; slipcase spine gently sunned, the whole otherwise in beautiful condition.  (30709)

The title-page is printed in black and red, the text in black only, with one headline in red. The actual printing was accomplished by Robert Hardie and Company, Edinburgh, and is of a high quality, with a scattering of typographic head- and tailpieces and decorative initials.

•  Bound in 20th-century half brown morocco with tan cloth sides; spine with raised bands, one compartment with gilt title and others with gilt center ornaments; multicolored head- and tailbands. Displaying the typical rippling or cockling that vellum is prone to, and in parts showing a bit more of it due apparently to onetime old water exposure (though with little discoloration from that), this was later vulnerable to the entry of soot into its text block, most margins and many printed portions having been affected. A remarkable, still remarkably impressive production; and, given what it apparently has experienced via more than one misadventure, a truly remarkable survivor.  (25671)