The engraved title-page vignette here incorporates the Dauphin’s coat of arms and the French royal banner, while the headpiece on the next page depicts two cherubim wrestling with dolphins.

Binding: Contemporary speckled calf, spine overlaid some time ago with red morocco (to achieve a uniform appearance with other books in a previous owner’s library); spine with gilt-stamped leather title label and a similar series/date label (“In usum Delphini”). Raised bands, spine compartments, and head and foot bear gilt-stamped decorations

•  Brunet, IV, 342; Sandys, II, 292. Binding as above; boards very slightly warped, spine darkened and with small paper label, leather a bit rubbed at extremities and along spine. Front pastedown with private collector’s bookplate, old institutional rubber-stamp, and pencilled annotations; front free endpaper with inked ownership inscription dated 1892; title-page with small early ownership inscription. Frontispiece lacking. Some offsetting to margins of first and last few leaves. All edges speckled blue and red.

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Several bibliographies, including Pilling's Proof-sheets and Ayer, treat this as two distinct works. Indeed, the dictionary and the grammar do each have their own distinct title-pages, pagination, and signature markings. They were issued together, however, though sometimes separated for sale. The publisher’s original paper wrappers are bound into this volume.

•  Pilling, Bibliography of the Algonquian Languages, 283; Newberry Library, Indian Linguistics in the Edward E. Ayer Collection, Cree-93 & Cree-9; Pilling, Proof-Sheets of a Bibliography of the Languages of the North American Indians, 2155 & 2156. Not in Vancil, Cordell Collection. Recent black moiré cloth, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label. Wrappers (bound in) dust-soiled and with edge chips; front wrapper partially adhered to half-title and back wrapper with Grammaire half-title affixed. Map partially adhered to an additional half-title. Page edges untrimmed; pages very slightly age-toned, else clean. Pagination jumps from 708 to 711 in pt. 1, but as the word listing goes from sagamité to sagamo it seems certain that the text is complete.

The volume is printed in a clear roman face with numerous ornamental woodcut initials and with side- and shoulder-notes. 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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Inscribed by the author.  Title-page with inked inscription reading “Mrs. March with the respects of the Author.”

•  Sabin 38526; Shoemaker 29442.   Contemporary green straight-grain roan, covers framed in gilt rolls, rebacked with green calf, spine gilt extra; sides and edges rubbed, with areas of light discoloration. Title-page and final leaf institutionally pressure-stamped, first preface page rubber-stamped. Title-page with inscription as above. Occasional light spotting, most pages clean.  (24333)

Binding: Publisher's red morocco, covers and spine gilt extra in foliate designs with cherubim at play. All edges gilt.

•  Faxon 457a.   Binding as above, front joint just starting at top and bottom, edges and extremities showing very slight wear, gilt slightest bit rubbed in spots; overall bright and handsome. Light age-toning and spotting throughout.In remarkably good condition, unusually bright.  (20886)

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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)

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The author was the cosmographer and historiographer of the Dutch East India Company as well as the Dutch royal family's official translator.

This is one of the scarcest volumes in commerce of the Elzevirs' series of histories in the Respublica series. It is only the third copy we have had in our 30+ years in the antiquarian book business.

•  Willems 313; Rahir 284; European Americana 629/79; Palau 129562; Sabin 38560; Borba de Moraes (2nd ed.), Bibliographia brasiliana, I, 450.   Recased in contemporary Dutch vellum over paste boards. Red leather spine label, abraded and sunned. Tiny pin-type wormhole in margin of first three leaves, and silverfish damage to final blank and rear privilege leaf, costing a few letters of the privilege, but not impairing sense. Ownership inscription at base of title-page has been inked through. A clean decent copy of this nice little book.  (24335)

Over60 large woodcuts illustrate the text, with some images appearing in both sections. The volume concludes with several poems on the themes of life, death, and the afterlife.

Uncommon: We trace only nine copies in the U.S., all but one in libraries east of the Mississippi.

•  Fairfax-Murray, French, 108; Morin, Bibliothèque bleue de Troyes, 435; Nisard, Histoire des Livres Populaires, II, 303. Binding with minor scuffing at corners and old (good) repairs to head and foot of spine, with leather starting to crack over joints; hinges tender. Pages slightly age-toned, with signature marks shaved.

•  Blackmer Collection 942; Atabey Collection 659; Tobler 153; Rohricht 1776; Europa und der Orient 336. This ed. not in Brunet. Publisher's blind-stamped cloth, spines with gilt-stamped title; cloth gently faded with spine extremities chipped, spine titles dimmed, front covers of vols. I and II detached, cloth starting along joints of vol. IV, spines with later paper shelving labels. Front pastedowns each with institutional bookplate. Vols. II and III lacking frontispieces; frontispiece and first few leaves of vol. I separated. Light to moderate foxing throughout; some corners dog-eared. Maps foxed but otherwise clean and crisp. (19642)

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.

The deed was witnessed by Richard Peters and John Callahan, and signed by Charles West with his seal next to the signature. In 1787, the document was additionally signed and sealed by Mathew Irwin of the Office for Recording of Deeds for the City and County of Philadelphia.

•  Upper edge uneven; a few small holes along fold lines; some spotting. A pleasing and attractive item of Philadelphiana.

Full text examples include the Lord's Prayer, The Creed, and First, Second, Third, and 15th Psalms.

Lane argues for the “great Benefit that ye Knowledge of this Art might be to the Clergy & all others” on the basis of speed (“as much may be written in one hour as by the Common Long Hand in six or more”) and easy acquisition (“[the rules are] laid down in such a plain and easie manner that any Person may learn it without a Teacher”).

Scarce: A search of ESTC locates seven copies, of which only two are in U.S. libraries. Not traced via OCLC and NUC-1956.

A nice example of a book not printed from moveable type; entirely printed from engraved plates.

•  ESTC T82591.   Sewn in original marbled-paper wrappers. Paper of spine chipped away, taking some paper at inner edge; small chips and nicks at edges of wrappers. Small bite out of outer margin of final leaf of text and final blank leaf; shallow chipping at lower outer corners and bottom margin of one page. Faint waterstaining. A good copy of a fragile little production.  (23729)

•  On John and William Langhorne, see: Dictionary of National Biography, XXXII, 101–02. Contemporary calf, covers framed with gilt roll and blind-stamped feather-and-scroll roll, spines gilt extra with gilt-stamped titles and leather volume labels. Covers and edges showing moderate wear, some joints starting; spines with slight cracking, wear to title compartments and volume labels. With bookplates of two 20th-century collectors to front pastedowns, catalogue clipping affixed to front free endpaper of vol. I. Varying degrees of offsetting with some leaves lightly spotted. A dignified set.

Provenance: Bookplate of Thomas Longley (Hawley).

•  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)

•    Later 19th-century half toffee-brown calf over salmon cloth boards; gilt-lettered red leather spine-labels (title, volume, editor); gilt-accented raised bands, date in gilt at base. Slight rubbing to joints and extremities, one label with a streak of discoloration, vol. II with small chip at head of spine and lower corners rubbed. Pages toned. One leaf with edge nicks. Lower outer portion of pp. 211/212 chipped, with loss of outermost letters of bottom four lines and detached piece laid in; aforesaid pages also creased down the middle, brittle, and all but separated in two (still, present). Top edge gilt, others deckle. A pleasing and attractive binding; a volume internally clean. (21256)

•  ESTC T21365. On Langrishe, see: Dictionary of National Biography, LVII, 125. Recently rebound in quarter calf over marbled paper sides, spine with gilt-stamped morocco spine label, gilt-ruled raised bands, and gilt-stamped compartment devices. All edges marbled. Title-page and ten others stamped by a now-defunct institution. Varying degrees of foxing. Lacking final two leaves of appendix (only).

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The three volumes are illustrated with18 copper-etched plates, some signed by Tommaso Nasi, depicting inscriptions, coins and medallions, and other antiquities.

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

•  Brunet, III, 827; Cicognara 2595; DeBacker-Sommervogel, IV, 1501. Bindings show only very minor signs of wear overall, some light speckling to spines and small spots of discoloration to two front covers, two volumes with lower corners bumped, two spine labels with small scuffs. Front pastedowns each with private collector’s bookplate and institutional rubber-stamp (no other markings), vol. I with small early inked name on front pastedown. One leaf with small hole affecting five letters. A few leaves very lightly age-toned, some plates in vol. II and first and last few leaves of each volume faintly foxed, otherwise clean. An attractive set.

Uncommon: Of institutional copies, we only locate five in the U.S.

•  Cordier, Bibliotheca Sinica, 723. 19th-century quarter brown morocco with marbled paper sides. Joints just starting at top and bottom, with a bit of a “bite” taken at bottom of front one. Blank portion of half-title excised and replaced with later paper. Evidence of sometime water exposure, with some crinkling/cockling and faint outline of stain to upper outer page quadrants. Gift inscription on title-page partially blacked out. Overall a good copy of a scarce book.

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.

Las Casas, the first great historian of the New World, arrived in Cuba in 1502 and spent most of the ensuing years in the Caribbean and Mexico until his return to Spain in 1547, so his arguments are based on personal observation and not on Aristotelian theory, as were Sepúlveda’s. He had witnessed first hand the destruction of the American Indian population via the diseases the Spaniards brought with them and through mistreatment and war, things he continually fought against as a priest. After his return to Spain and throughout his old age, he launched a series of attacks on Spanish policy. He engineered the publication of his arguments against Sepúlveda in a series of nine tracts printed in Seville in 1552 and 1553. The first, and most famous, of these tracts was the Brevissima relacion de la destruycion de las Indias, which describes the numerous wrongs inflicted upon the Indians, mainly in the Antilles.

This is first edition of Bartolomé de las Casas's third tract advocating the better treatment of Amerindians by the Spanish. In it he offers 20 detailed suggestions for the better treatment of the natives, including such basics as that they should be secure in their homes. He also flat out calls for the end of the encomienda system and for the placing of all Indians under the direct protection of the crown. All of the tracts are of great significance, both for their immediate effect in reforming the Spanish colonial system to some degree, and as an extremely early example of European concern with the human rights of native people.

The text is printed in gothic (i.e., “black letter”) as was the custom for “legal” and religious texts. The title-page is printed in red and black, with the text surrounded by a four-panel woodcut border.

Evidence of readership: A half dozen contemporary annotations and textual corrections.

•  Alden & Landis, European Americana, 552/9; Sabin 11229; Medina, BHA, 146. Church 89; JCB (3), I, 169; Index Aurel. 132.872; Palau 46942. Full modern deep claret-colored morocco. Round spine with raised bands, each of which is accented above and below by gilt beading. Gilt center devices in blank spine compartments, others with author and title information in gilt lettering. Covers tooled in gilt with rules and rolls forming concentric panels. Gilt corner devices. Marbled endpapers. Minor instances of soiling on title-page, two areas of verso of title-page reinforced. Minor age-toning and soiling, top portion of a few leaves brown-stained. Lower corners of leaves c8 & f4 lacking, restored; nine letters supplied in manuscript facsimile on c8 and four on f4. Lacks final blank leaf. A good copy, untattered.

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."

The present copy does not include the thirty pages, mentioned in the subtitle, on the nature of war; the Extract and Some Thoughts were issued as the first and second titles in a collection of religious tracts printed by Henry Miller, and also issued separately (Evans 10352 and 10505). Sabin calls for 48 pages, as found in this copy.

•  Evans 10352; Sabin 39325. On Law, see: Dictionary of National Biography, XXXII, 236–40. Later neat plain cloth binding, spine with gilt-stamped morocco title label; clean. Half-title lacking. Some foxing, mostly marginal. Pencilled notes to top of title-page and final page; early inked ownership inscription to title-page verso, including Philadelphia street address.

The work was later reprinted in Venice.

•  Medina, Mexico, 3999; DeBacker-Sommervogel, IV, 1603-04.   Contemporary limp vellum without the ties. Edges of binding damaged by rodent(s) with loss; sometime repair to small hole at top border of title-page, with limited instances of waterstaining there and to some top margins. A good copy.  (23970)