There is at least one other variant of the first piece, also printed in 1700, “For A.H.” according to its colophon. It seems likely that the two speeches were in the present case issued together — the paper and type match, and the second speech is paginated “(2)” — although these examples were later separated and existing cataloguing records are inconsistent regarding the number of leaves that should be present. Sets of the two pieces together are scarce.

•  ESTC R182313 / R33479; Goldsmiths’-Kress 03732; Wing Q160. Removed from a nonce volume, now in a Mylar folder. Leaves darkened and creased, both lower margins irregularly torn with loss of approximately 20 words. First speech with nick affecting two letters of the title.

Single-click the interior image for an enlargement.

•  Goldsmiths’-Kress 8461 (for first ed.); not in Garrison & Morton. Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt extra with gilt-stamped leather title-label; leather rubbed at edges and joints, spine a bit scuffed, joints just starting at front foot and back head. Front fly-leaf with student’s inked ownership inscription dated 1768. Some instances of light spotting and age-toning, pages mostly clean. All edges marbled.

•  Not in Shaw & Shoemaker. Removed from a nonce volume; stapled and respined with archival tissue. Six-digit number stamped on title-page.

The main question at hand is the appointing of a new attorney/solicitor (i.e., procurador) for the California missions. He says, “quiero que ahora y siempre que ocurra [la necesidad de un nuevo procurador], se haga el nombramiento por la Provincia misma despues de haber oido al Presidente de las Misiones, el cual es mi voluntad que en cuanto sea posible camine con acuerdo de la mayor parte a lo menos de los demas misioneros, antes de hacer su propuesta a la Prov[inci]a.”

He also makes appointments to the positions of “Depositarios del Deposito” and the names of the four appointees are given.

•  Written in a clear large hand and with the paper and wax closure in evidence.  (25329)

Signed Binding: Contemporary red straight-grain morocco, covers framed in substantial gilt and blind-tooled rolls with gilt-stamped corner fleurons, surrounding central gilt-stamped medallions of the French imperial eagle. Spines gilt extra in arabesque and foliate motifs with additional blind-tooling; board edges gilt-stamped and turn-ins with wide gilt rolls. All edges gilt. Bindings signed by Charles Hering — one of the most prominent English binders of the early 19th century.

The editor's advertisement, type-signed by Sophia Raffles (Sir Thomas's second wife), notes that the plates from the first edition and some additional plates were published in “a separate quarto volume, detached entirely from the present work” (p. xi). This did not actually appear until 1844 and so is not present here.

•  Brunet, IV, 1088; Graesse, VI, 17; Lowndes 2037. On Raffles, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Contemporary calf, covers framed in blind triple fillets with gilt-stamped corner fleurons, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels and with gilt-stamped and blind-tooled compartment decorations; board edges with blind roll. Binding rubbed at joints/edges and with small scuffs, portions of boards variously stained/sunned; still quite attractive. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplate and inked call number on each front pastedown, title-pages pressure- and lightly rubber-stamped; no other markings. Fore-edge of vol. I shows signs of old water exposure, without actual waterstaining to pages themselves save in a few cases where upper or outer margins are touched; pages clean. A pleasant old pair of books.  (26379)

Click the images for enlargements.

The work contains 48 letters on the nature of legal study, with advice for the law student on topics as diverse as cultivating a classical learning, the relevance of philosophy and history to the study of law, the dangers of indulging in “general literature,” overcoming deficiencies and handling discouragement, eloquence, integrity, memory, study habits and the importance of a good work ethic, working in an attorney's office — etc.

Raithby (1766–1826) was admitted a member of Lincoln's Inn on 26 January 1795, was subsequently called to the bar, and practiced law in the court of chancery.

Provenance:  Ownership marks of Samson Levy, Esq., in several forms and places; pencilled signature of John M. Allen; several other signatures crossed out.

A note on the flyleaf says here, “Exchanged with my Friend R. Peters Esq. / This Day One I purchased of P. Byrne(?) bound in Calf - 20th Feb.y 1810.”

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 11238.   Contemporary sheep, spine with gilt-stamped decorations and title gilt-stamped on a black leather label. Binding rubbed/worn with spine leather chipped/cracking, front cover off and back joint cracked/weak. Ink marks and writing on title-page and facing (blank) page. Variable foxing, annotations as above, a few brief passages highlighted with marginal ink-rules.  (7455)

•  ESTC T147963; despite the internal absence of publication information, the collation of this volume matches that given by ESTC. Contemporary sprinkled calf, spine with gilt-stamped leather title label and gilt-stamped floral devices in compartments, overall somewhat worn. Small inked ownership inscription to top of title-page. Some foxing, not severe; last leaves dog-eared. One text leaf torn out (being the middle part of one of the epithalamia), as also one preliminary leaf; and so a “busted bibliophile’s copy” — despite its real interest and attractions!

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth, covers framed in blind, front cover with decorative gilt-stamped title, spine with gilt-stamped title.

•  Barile 39–40; Bitting 388 (for early editions); Cagle & Stafford 627 (second ed. on). Not in Brown, Culinary Americana.   Binding as above, light rubbing overall, more pronounced to joints and extremities. Front free endpaper with later inked ownership inscription (“E. Endicott”). Pages very clean and crisp: a desirable copy.  (28633)

A “Map of Servia and the Adjoining Countries” engraved by J. & C. Walker faces the title.

Fore-edge: Gracing the volume is a neat and colorful fore-edge painting of St. Paul's cathedral viewed from the Thames, with a sailboat manned by two men in the foreground drifting by Blackfriars Bridge.

Binding: 19th-century gilt red morocco, boards quadruple-ruled in gilt; innermost frames punctuated by elegant fleurons, upper board stamped at the center with arms featuring a crowned double-headed eagle with orb and olive branch encircled by a motto in Cyrillic. Spine gilt extra, with title and author in second compartment; gilt turn-ins and all edges gilt.

•  Binding and fore-edge as above; extremities rubbed, especially the joints (which are just starting), and corners bumped. Lower margins and early/late leaves waterstained; overall text mildly age-toned at edges and foxed in places with a touch of green pigment bled from a sewing cord visible at gutter in two signatures. A right wonderful volume.  (29600)

•  In a Mylar folder. Pages darkened, with small discolorations and edges somewhat tattered. A pleasing gift for anyone exploring culinary, or almost certainly women’s, history. (2557)

•  ESTC R32277; Wing (rev. ed.) R679; Smith, Anti-Quakeriana, 304; Whitley, Baptist Bibliography, 49-658.   Period-style calf, covers framed in blind double fillets, spine with gilt-ruled raised bands and gilt-stamped leather title-label. Pages age-toned and spotted; one leaf with outer and lower margins repaired some time ago as shown in last photo.  (26001)

Clicking on the righthand image above, and reading the last, italicized paragraph, is rewarding

OCLC and ESTC locate only six U.S. institutional holdings.

•  ESTC R40093; Wing (rev. ed.) R682; Smith, Anti-Quakeriana, 303.   Period-style calf, covers framed in blind double fillets, spine with gilt-ruled raised bands and gilt-stamped leather title-label. Title-page and first text page institutionally perforation-stamped, first text page with inked and rubber-stamped numerals in lower margin. Title-page with several tears repaired (with loss of a few letters from table of contents) and a sliver of the bottom edge replaced (with loss of lower portion of publication date); pages generally age-toned and soiled, first one with upper margin repaired. Edges trimmed closely and tattered. A “survivor.”  (26010)

•  Shoemaker 8630; Arndt & Eck, German Language Printing in the U.S., 2524.   Contemporary sheep framed in blind single fillet, spine with raised band, one strap and clasp present and functional; binding scuffed, one strap lacking. Pages browned and lightly spotted as typical; early leaves with some waterstaining in margins. A few corners dog-eared. A pleasingly solid copy.  (29602)

Provenance: Julia Bedell.

Binding:  Black morocco with gilt extra spine and a gilt border on covers; gilt roll on board edges. All edges gilt.

•  Rubbed with spine cracking down center; small chip to top of spine. Ex-library with rubber-stamp to endpaper and pencilled notations. Private pencilled gift/ownership inscription as above. Paper age-toned and with occasional spots; strong. A lovely edition and a volume in lovely condition, save for the vulnerability of that spine crack (which much lowers the price).  (22965)

Uncommon: No U.S. copy of this issue located via OCLC and ESTC locates only the Harvard copy. There were other, less complete editions of 40 pp., 58 pp., and 78 pp.

•  ESTC N15187.   Recent full calf, period style; spine with raised bands accented in gilt, oxblood leather gilt-lettered title, publication date and place in gilt at base; covers framed and paneled in gilt rules with gilt-stamped corner fleurons. Shallow chip to top outer corners of final two leaves. One word on p. 32 is blotted out in ink by an early owner with the correction supplied above it. Penned signature (partly cropped) at top edge of p. 79. Pp. 79–92 duplicated, nothing missing.  (23766)

•  Modern boards covered with old-style German sprinkled brown paper, with paper label on front cover. Title-page lightly soiled in top margin.

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Provenance:  Presentation leaf with inked inscription to Catharine Everdell from her husband William, dated 1836; front fly-leaf with early inked gift inscription from Mary L. Everdell to Bell Vandevere and with Vandevere's pencilled inscription.

•  Faxon 1493.   Contemporary half brown morocco and marbled paper–covered boards, leather edges gilt-ruled, spine with gilt-stamped title, gilt-dotted raised bands, and gilt-stamped compartment decorations; corners and sides showing moderate rubbing. Front fly-leaf with bookseller's pressure-stamp, title-page and two others institutionally pressure-stamped, table of contents with inked notation in gutter and rubber-stamped numeral in lower margin, back pastedown with traces of now-absent adhered leaf. One guard leaf partially torn away. Pages and plates faintly age-toned with occasional light spots, mostly clean.The devotedly feminine orientation of the Keepsake series is particularly observable here, both in the notable list of women involved in producing this year's “number” and, differently, in the series of inscriptions to be found in this copy.  (26175)