Search Results: Early Printed Books from B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA

London: Printed By W. Bowyer and J. Nichols, 1774 Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to noted British astronomer and mathematician Thomas Hornsby to front pastedown: "Pour Mons. Hornsby de la part d l'Auteur". Small 4to. [2], 57, [1] pp. First separate edition, originally published in the periodical Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in the previous year. Containing one engraved fold-out plate by James Basire. Contemporary marbled paper wrappers. A very good copy with rubbing and toning to wrappers, a few tears and creases to extremities, front hinge starting, small sticker hand-labeled "1" to front wrapper, some spotting and toning internally but text block overall very clean. ESTC T114477. Housed in a custom folding box. Account of a New Hygrometer was first published in 1773 in Philosophical Transactions, a scientific journal issued periodically by the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge. Known as the first scientific journal in the… Read More

London, 1783 24 mo. Five volumes. Early edition. Finely bound in contemporary tan mottled calf, boards triple-ruled in gilt and spines stamped in gilt, board edges and turn-ins gilt, text block edges gilt, red and blue marbled endpapers; green silk markers in each volume. A near fine set with just some light wear to extremities, most pronounced in Vol. II, two small holes in the leather of Vol. V, bookplate of Philibert Bruys de Gardes to front pastedown of each volume. Overall, a beautiful set. This set includes the complete dramatic works of two noted French dramatists, brothers Pierre and Thomas Corneille. Both were active writers during the 17th century, publishing dozens of works each. Pierre, older than his brother by 19 years, is the better known of the two, and is counted among some of the greatest dramatists of the 17th century, alongside Molière and Racine. His most famous work, the tragicomedy Le Cid (1637), was performed at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris, and was an… Read More

Rotterdam: Arnold Leers, 1648 12mo. Fourth edition. With additional engraved title page and 2 full-page engraved illustrations. Contemporary speckled brown calf, double ruled in blind to covers, horizontal rules in blind and paper library labels to spine, red speckled edges. Very good, with shallow chipping to bottom of spine, light wear to hinges and corners, sound binding with strong hinges, former owner bookplate to front pastedown, embossed stamp to title, engraved title, and first page of text, pages lightly toned and light scattered spotting but generally clean throughout. An important work in an attractive contemporary binding. PMM 127. De motu cordis, William Harvey's groundbreaking work on the circulation of the blood, is widely considered the most important book in the history of medicine. First published in Frankfurt in 1628, it describes the motion of blood through the body in a circuit and observes the functions of arteries and chambers of the heart. Much like Vesalius' Fabrica… Read More

London: Printed [by Humphrey Lownes] for H. Lownes, G. Lathum, and R. Young,, 1628 Fourth edition. Title page with engraving of Cicero's Magistra Vitae holding up the earth by Renold Elstracke dated 1614, portrait of Raleigh engraved by Simon de Passe, "Minde of the Front" leaf, and eight folding maps as issued (pages 56, 108, 152, 218, 350, 270, 386, 388). Royal folio. Full contemporary brown calf, covers and edges stamped in blind, raised bands to spine with title stamped in gilt, red speckled edges, plain endpapers. Very good with light wear and cracking to calf, rebacked with original spine laid down, inner hinges reinforced, original endpapers and endbands, engraved title page tipped onto a stub, some repair to edges and strengthening along gutters on portrait, Mind of the Front, and first page of the Preface, some dampstaining throughout (most noticeably to gutters of text, Contents, and Tables), small spots of soiling to some text leaves, portrait with contemporary notation of… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906 - 1907 Eight volumes. Translated from the Spanish by Thomas Shelton. Illustrated by Daniel Vierge with tissue guarded plates and in-text illustrations. With an introduction by Royal Cortissoz. First edition thus. One of 140 copies printed on Imperial Japan paper "with two additional full-page illustrations, and with extra prints, before letter, of all the full-page illustrations," numbered 77. From a total limitation of 1,150. Finely bound by Riviere in brown morocco, with five raised bands to spines, spine compartments ruled and lettered in gilt, spines decorated in blind, and top edge gilt. Near fine set, with light toning and rubbing to spines, light spotting to boards and text block edges, board edges rubbed to boards in some areas, and some offsetting to endpaper margins. Overall, an exceptionally pleasing set. First published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615, Don Quixote is widely considered one of the most influential works in the history… Read More

London, 1784 Three volumes. Later edition. Finely bound in contemporary speckled light brown calf, boards triple ruled in gilt, spines decorated in gilt with gray leather spine labels lettered in gilt, board edges and turn-ins tooled in gilt, text block edges gilt, red and blue marbled endpapers. A near fine set with a touch of light rubbing to extremities, small insect hole to the outside of the front hinge of each volume, damp staining to frontispiece in Vol. I, else very tight and clean. This volume contains Bruyère's French translation of the philosophical work Characters by the Greek philosopher Théophrastus, along with Bruyère's own philosophical text. Théophrastus was a student of both Plato and Aristotle, and in the work translated here, presents his sketches of various types of moral character. Bruyère, a moralist inspired by Théophrastus, published his own set of sketches on moral character.. Hard Cover. Near Fine.

London: A. Millar, 1765 Modern three-quarter dark brown calf over tan cloth boards, with five raised bands and red morocco spine label lettered in gilt. A very good or better copy, with some foxing and soiling to frontispiece and title page, small chip to top corner of frontispiece, text block otherwise clean and complete, boards slightly bowed, binding bright and unworn. Letters Concerning Toleration is a collection of four letters written by Locke on the subject of religious tolerance, in which the English philosopher argues that the acceptance of multiple religious groups is necessary in society to prevent civil unrest. Although each letter had previously been published individually as well as together in Locke's Collected Works, this 1765 edition is the first time in which the four letters have been published together as an independent volume.. Hard Cover. Very Good.

London: printed for William Miller, 1801 Four volumes. Illustrated with 19 b/w engraved plates, frontispiece plate to Vol. I, and a fold-out map of Spain to Vol. I. Translated from the original Spanish by Charles Jervas (incorrectly printed in editions of Don Quixote as "Jarvis"). First edition thus. Finely bound by Brentano's in full red morocco, with boards double-ruled in gilt, five raised bands to spines, two black leather labels to spines, spines lettered, ruled, and elaborately decorated in gilt, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt, and light blue endpapers. A very good set, with light wear to spines, some rubbing to joints, light toning to spines and rear board of Vol. II, light scuffing to boards, some corners worn to boards, "Edmond L. Wise" bookplates to front pastedowns, plates and fold-out map clean and intact, and light offsetting to pages facing plates. Overall, a handsome and clean set, with very sturdy hinges. First published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615, Don… Read More

London: Printed for Benjamin Motte, 1727-1728. Three volumes. First edition thus, with a preface by Swift and Pope. Contemporary full brown calf, spines lettered in gilt, red labels to spines, and red speckled edges. Good set, with heavy flaking to calf, spine ends lightly chipped, some wear to corners, some rubbing to edges, a bit of loss to spine label on Vol. I (lettering very minimally affected), dampstaining to pp. 32-144 and 222-305 in Vol. I and margins of Vol. II's title page and table of contents page, and just some light spotting and soiling to interiors otherwise. Overall, a sturdy and unrestored set, in a contemporary binding. Miscellanies is a collaborative work by satirists Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, mathematician John Arbuthnot, and poet John Gay, the most prominent members of the Scriblerus Club. The Club was formed in 1714, but most of their writings did not appear in print until decades later. As explained in the preface in Vol. I, Swift and his friends decided to publish… Read More

Amsterdam: Ludovicum & Danielem Elzevirios, 1656 Third edition. Contemporary brown calf with sides ruled in blind, four raised bands to spine, and red leather label lettered in gilt to spine. Very good, with light wear and chipping to calf on joints and edges, rebacked, 19th century inscriptions to front fly leaf and half-title page, biographical clippings affixed to front endpapers, light dampstaining to page margins, some tears to lower margins of introductory pages, some pencil annotations to "Methode" section of Specimina Philosophiae (pp. 1-48), and library card pocket to rear pastedown. Overall, a sturdy and attractive copy. Opera Philosophica contains some of the French philosopher René Descartes' most influential works. Specimina Philosophiae includes three Descartes essays published in 1637 - "Methode," "La Dioptrique," and "Meteores." In "Methode," Descartes outlines his skepticism-based method for understanding the natural… Read More

London: Printed by J. M. for John Starkey at the Mitre in Fleetstreet, near Temple-Bar, 1671 First edition, second issue, with "loah" corrected to "loth" on p. 67 of Paradise Regain'd; complete with licensing and errata leaves. Bound in contemporary brown calf, with five raised bands to spine, boards and spine ruled in blind. Very good, with some wear and light insect damage to boards, corners worn to boards, rebacked, contemporary ownership signatures to front free endpaper (recto and verso), occasional light spotting and soiling to pages, and errata errors hand-corrected on pages. Overall, a pleasing and sturdy example of Milton's classic follow-up to "Paradise Lost." "Paradise Regain'd" is Milton's sequel to his epic poem "Paradise Lost," the latter of which tells the Biblical tale of how Adam and Eve were forced out of the idyllic Garden of Eden. Indeed, the regaining of the lost paradise is a major theme in "Paradise… Read More

London: Printed by John Baskerville for J. and R. Tonson, 1758 Two volumes. First Baskerville edition. Bound in full brown calf with gilt borders with designs in four corners to boards, gilt designs to edges, spines with five raised bands and designs in gilt to each compartment, black labels with titles in gilt to spines, brown topstains and speckled edges, marbled endpapers, John Earl of Hyndford bookplates to front pastedowns. Very good set, spine ends and corners with some repair, outer hinges reinforced, with some wear to corners, some wear and thin cracks to spine hinges, a bit of rubbing to gilt on spines and edges. Overall, an excellent and well-preserved set. Paradise Lost includes a preface by the set's famed printer, John Baskerville, which gives insight into his approach to printing. Paradise Regain'd includes a biographical section titled "Life of Milton" and two additional works by Milton - "Samson Agonistes" and "Poems upon Several Occasions." Both… Read More

London: Printed for Benj. Motte, 1726 Illustrated with two maps in Volume I, and three maps and a diagram in Volume 2. Four parts in two volumes as issued. First edition, third issue (Teerink's "B" Edition), with frontispiece portrait of Gulliver in the second state (legend lettered around an oval frame, and vertical chain lines), as usual. This is the third of three editions of Gulliver's Travels printed in the same year - the first "A" published October 27th, "AA" published in November, and this "B" issue published in December. Octavo. Finely bound in 19th century speckled calf by Robson & Kerslake, with boards triple-ruled in gilt with gilt decorations in corners, five raised bands to spines, ruled, lettered, and decorated in gilt, red and dark blue leather labels to spines, red marbled endpapers, gilt turn-ins, top edge gilt, and yellow edges. Very good set, with some repair to hinges, light wear to edges and corners, and some light spotting to… Read More

Corke: Printed for Eugene Swiney, 1766 Pirated Corke edition. Bound in contemporary full brown calf, with five raised bands to the spine, contrasting red calf label to the spine, lettered and decorated in gilt, board edges tooled in blind. Very good, with some wear to the extremities, light rubbing to the boards and spine, minor spotting to the fore edge, former owner's bookplate to the front pastedown, some minor creasing to the otherwise bright pages. Overall, a tight and unsophisticated copy. Housed in a custom quarter morocco red slipcase with a matching chemise. This pirated edition of The Vicar of Wakefield was published in the same year as the first authorized edition that consisted of two volumes printed by R. Collins in London. The pirated Corke edition was also issued in two volumes; in the case of this copy, a previous owner had his binder combine the two parts into a single volume. The Vicar of Wakefield is a Victorian novel that is narrated by Dr. Charles Primrose, the fictional… Read More

London: Printed by Adam Islip, 1602 Edited by Thomas Speght and revised with the help of Francis Thynne. Illustrated with two title pages, John Speed's full-page portrait of Chaucer with genealogical border, woodcut initials, ornaments, and head-and-tail pieces throughout, and knight and lance woodcut to Fol. 1. Folio. Second Speght edition (Seventh collected edition overall), with errata leaf. Finely bound by W. Pratt in red morocco, boards triple-ruled in gilt, spine with six raised bands, spine lettered, ruled and decorated in gilt, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins, red marbled endpapers, 19th century Alexander Young bookplate to front pastedown, and 19th century Parliament member John Burns ownership signature to verso of front free endpaper. About fine, with light rubbing to joints and corners, subtle repair to first few leaves, with small chips neatly closed, Chaucer portrait supplied from another copy, and repair to lower gutter of last leaf. Overall, a stately example, attractively bound with… Read More

London: S. Crowder, C. Ware, and T. Payne,, 1770 Eight volumes. Finely bound in brown calf, five raised bands to spine, compartments decorated, lettered, and ruled in gilt, red leather label to spine, and red speckled edges. Very good set, with mild dimming to spine gilt, light margin offsetting to endpapers, shallow chipping and splitting to spine joints, some light wear and bumping to corners, Vol. I with partially separated front free endpaper, some wormholes to calf on front board of Vol. I, front endpaper and rear board of Vol. II, and front joints of Vols. II and VII, nicks to lower spines on Vols. I and III, light blue stain to upper edge of front board on Vol. II, Vol. VII with outer front joint faintly cracked. Overall, a very attractive and complete set in an unsophisticated contemporary binding. This set brings together many of Alexander Pope's works, with the material separated as follows: Vol. I: Juvenile Poems and Translations, Vol. II: Imitations and Moral Essays, Vol. III:… Read More

London: for J. Johnson, 1808 19 volumes. 8vo., bound in contemporary three-quarter dark calf over blue boards with gilt spines, marbled pastedown and endpapers. A very good to near fine set with light rubbing and a few small stains to covers; internally very tight and clean with only some light scattered foxing, mostly to the preliminary pages of text. A very attractive set of Swift's works. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Ireland. He studied at Trinity College and was close with Alexander Pope and John Gay, the two other most important writers of his time period. He penned poetry and prose, and is best remembered for writing Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, or Gulliver’s Travels (1726). A masterpiece of English satire, Gulliver’s Travels is still widely read today, and has inspired many television series as well as the 2010 movie.. Hard Cover. Fine.