17TH-CENTURY BOOKS
17TH-CENTURY BOOKS
Descartes Illustrated 
Descartes, René. Renati Des Cartes opera philosophica. Francofurti ad Moenum: Sumptibus Friderici Knochii, 1692. 4to. 5 parts in 1 vol. Frontis., [47] ff.; [4] ff., 384 pp.; [16] ff., 168 pp.; [8] ff., 220 pp.; [12] ff., 74 pp., [3] ff.; [18] ff., 188 pp., 7 plts.
Click the interior images for enlargements. 
• VD17 1:620459Z. Contemporary stiff vellum. Ex-library with call number on spine and bookplate, but no other markings. A very good copy. (14709)
The Lives of PlantsDigby, Kenelm. Discovrs svr la vegetation des plantes, fait par le Cheualier Digby, le 23. Ianuier 1660, en presence de Messieurs de l’Academie Royale d’Angleterre.... Paris: Chez la veuve Moet, 1667. 12mo (15. 6 cm, 6.2"). ã8A–G6H4 (-H4, blank); [16], 89, [1 (blank)] pp.
Rare. Searches via OCLC, RLIN, and NUC locate only five copies worldwide: Two in the U.S. (both at same university!) and three in France.
• Duveen D494. Recent calf with covers framed in single gilt fillets, spine with gilt-stamped title label and gilt-ruled raised bands. Leaves with some dustsoiling and dampstaining; now heavily sized, many with margins repaired and a few with stray pencil marks. Lacks final blank leaf (only). In fact, a rather nice copy of a very uncommon item.
Indispensable for the
Medieval Greek Scholar Du Cange, Charles Du Fresne. Glossarium ad scriptores mediae & infimae graecitatis, in quo graeca vocabula novatae significationis. Lugduni: Apud Anissonios, Joan. Posuel, & Claud. Rigaud, 1688. Folio (35.6 cm, 14"). 2 vols. I: Frontis., [6], xl, [2] pp., 1278 columns, [1 (blank)] p.; 1 plt. II: [2] pp., 1279–1794, 214 columns, [1], 2 pp., 102 columns, [4] pp., 316 columns, [1 (blank)] p.
Click the interior images for enlargements. Click the image for an enlargement. Vol. I opens with an engraved frontispiece done by Pierre Giffart, of Athena supervising a battlefield, and is also illustrated with an engraved plate depicting various antiquities.
• Brunet, II, 851; Graesse, II, 439; Sandys, II, 289. 18th-century speckled sheep, spines gilt extra; small areas of covers abraded, joints and extremities lightly rubbed, spines with paper shelving labels and small pinholes of worm damage. Front pastedowns each with armorial bookplate (with cardinal's hat) of Marius Marefuschus, institutional bookplate, and a Paris bookseller's small ticket. Mild to moderate foxing. With their handsomely tooled spines, these make a still-imposing pair. (20890)
Norman
ConquestSDuchesne, André. Historiae Normannorum scriptores antiqui, res ab illis per Galliam, Angliam, Apuliam, Capuae principatum, Siciliam, & Orientem gestas explicantes ... Lutetiae Parisiorum: [colophon: Apud Robertum Foüet, Nicolaum Buon, Sebastianum Cramoisy], 1619. Folio (35 cm, 13.6"). [7] ff., 1104, [16 (index & colophon)] pp. (pagination occasionally erratic). 
Click the interior images for enlargements. 
• Brunet, II, 856; Graesse 440. Period-style calf framed in blind, spine with raised bands and otherwise very plain– no label. Title-page with faint early inked inscriptions. Colophon with margins repaired, one repair at inner margin just touching a letter of text. Waterstaining to inner portions and lower outer corners of much of volume (not affecting title-page or preface, and generally faint); some pages browned. Numerous instances of early inked marginalia and underlining. (20816)
“La Condamnation des Templiers”Dupuy, Pierre. Traitez concernant l’histoire de France: Sçavoir la condamnation des Templiers, avec quelques actes: L’histoire du schisme, les Papes tenans le siege en Avignon: Et quelques procez criminels. Paris: Edme Martin, 1700. 12mo (16 cm, 6.25"). Frontis., [8], 564 pp. (i.e., 570; pagination repeats 271–76)
one of the earliest published sources for records of the Templar trial; the preface here notes that many previous historians had judged Philip IV and his attack on the Templars harshly “parce qu’ils ignoroient les fondemens de cette condamnation, qui consistoient aux preuves qui te sont ici representées” (p. [vii]).
Early editions of this work are all uncommon; only 10 U.S. holdings of this edition were found in searches of OCLC, RLIN, and NUC Pre-1956. The frontispiece portrait of “Petrvs Pvteanvs” is unsigned.
• Brunet, II, 902. Contemporary vellum, spine with stamped, gilt-framed title; spine showing very faint traces of a now-absent label. Front pastedown with bookplate of a 19th-century collector; frontispiece shaved close (just into impression) by binder. Title-page browned; some intermittent moderate foxing. 
An attractive and interesting little book.
Public
Gambling Banned
in
BrusselsThe Edinburgh gazette... Monday March 13. to Thursday March 16 1699. Edinburgh: James Watson, [1699]. Folio (27.5 cm, 10.9"). [1] f. (printed on both sides).
Click the image for an enlargement. • ESTC P74 (for full run from 1699–1708). Removed from a nonce volume. Inner margin tattered, repaired some time ago with loss of “The” from header and of a number of words along that margin on each side.
The Battle of KalloEfetos de las armas españolas del Rey Catolico nuestro señor, en Flandes, contra los exercitos de Francia, y Olanda, en la campaña, deste año de 1638. Madrid: En la Imprenta del Reyno, 1636. Folio (28.2 cm, 11.1"). 10 ff.
Click the image for an enlargement. • Palau 78542. Removed from a nonce volume; creased. Title-page with inner margin reinforced. Pages somewhat unevenly age-toned; trimmed closely, in some cases just touching outermost letters. Last leaf with tear from lower margin extending into text, and with small holes along creases.
BIBLIOGRAPHICALLY Interesting, Too England & Wales. Parliament. An ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, for giving power to all the classicall presbyteries within their respective bounds to examine, approve, and ordaine ministers for severall congregations. London: Pr. for John Wright, 1645. Small 4to. [1] f., 6 pp.
Bibliographically interesting. Wing records four different issues of this ordinance, the telling points being on the title-page: the spelling of “classical” or “classicall” and the form of the date, whether “12 Novemb., 1645,” or just “1645" and combinations thereof. ESTC fails to distinguish them.
• Wing (rev. ed.) E1894A; ESTC R176130. Removed from a nonce volume and dusty; in modern wrappers. All edges a bit chipped and lower margins of leaves A2 and A3 with loss of blank paper. All leaves age-toned. (20454)
Whoa! Hold on There! Just One Darn Minute! Episcopal Church in Scotland. The declinator and protestation of the archbishops and bishops, of the Church of Scotland, and others their adherents within that kingdome, against the pretended generall Assembly holden at Glasgow Novemb. 21. 1638. London: Pr. by John Ravvorth, for George Thomason & Octavian Pullen,, 1639. Small 4to. [1] f., 33, [1 (blank)] pp.
Click the image for an enlargement. This work appeared with three different title-pages and there are even internal differences. In this copy the setting of quire B has line B3v with “Deliberations” spelled with the capital letter “D.”
• STC (rev ed.) 22058; ESTC S116980. Removed from a nonce volume and in modern wrappers. First and last pages dust-soiled; tea (?) stain to last leaf. Ex-library with the not unattractive stamp of the Union Theological Seminary on the verso of the title and in the bottom margin of the last text page. Blank area of foremargin of B4 torn with loss. In modern wrappers. (21000)
FOUR
Important Works in ONE
Volume NEATLY
Printed by Johann Maire
Erasmus, Desiderius. ...Lingua, sive, de linguæ usu atque abusu liber utilissimus. Lugduni Batavorum: ex officina Ioannis Maire, 1641. 12mo. A–S12, 410 pp., [11] ff. [bound with his] Principis Christiani institvtio per aphorismos digesta. Lugduni Batavorum: ex officina Ioannis Maire, 1641. 12mo. A–I12 K6; 228 pp. [bound with his]
Querela pacis vndique gentium ejectæ, profligatæque. Lugduni Batavorum: ex officina Ioannis Maire, 1641. 12mo. A–D12 E2; 76 pp. [bound with his] Encomium moriæ, sive declamatio in laudem stultitiæ. Lugduni Batavorum: ex officina Ioannis Maire, 1641. 12mo. A–K12; 229, [2 (blank)] pp.
The book begins with Lingua ("On Language"), wherein Erasmus complains that humans abuse their gift of language and twist it to make a mockery of God's world and word. This is followed by the Principis Christiani Institvtio ("The Christian Education of a Prince"), directed primarily at the young Emperor Charles V Hapsburg, instructing him in, among other things, the benefits of passivism. This is considered to be one of the greatest contributions to the genre of the education of a Christian prince. The Querela Pacis ("Complaint of Peace"), next, was written in 1517 when the "Congress of Kings" met, hoping to preserve peace throughout Europe during a period of religious and social strife. Here Erasmus pleads for toleration, in some ways (but definitely not others) foreshadowing modern concepts of multiculturalism and diversity.
The volume's final work is the famous "Praise of Folly," which Erasmus claims he wrote on a journey from Italy to England while thinking about his friend Thomas More (hence the pun More -> moriæ). Here Folly, personified as a woman (of course), speaks in her own defence, pointing out the merits of the un-Christian practices of the day. That is followed by two of Erasmus's letters: "De Ratione Studii," intended for Petrus Viterius, and "De Instituendi," intended for Erasmus's students.
All works are given in the original Latin, annotated, and followed by full indices. 
The resulting thick little volume is a pleasing one—Maire printed it nicely—and this copy is an exceptionally crisp and clean exemplar.
• On Erasmus, see: Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, 145–47. Full vellum with yapp edges. Round spine with author and title handwritten at top in sepia ink; yellow head- and tailbands well preserved. Tiny initials ink on front fly-leaf. Very little foxing. Overall, excellent.
A Report & Its SupplementEscrivense los progressos, y entrada de su alteza del señor Infante Cardenal en Francia por Picardia, en nueve de Julio deste año; y la retirada del exercito de Francia, y sus coligados del estado de Milan, y la valerosa y fuerte resistencia que hizo la ciudad de Dola en Borgoña al Principe de Condè General de las armas de Francia en su assedio, con la respuesta de una carta que aquel Parlamento, y Corte escriviò al referido Principe. Madrid: Por Maria de Quiñones, 1636. Folio (28.2 cm, 11.1"). [4] ff.
Click the image for an enlargement. • Palau 81595. Removed from a nonce volume. Small inked numeral in upper margin. Some light waterstaining; two leaves with outer edges untrimmed and ragged.
Rare Dutch Poem onWilliam of Orange[Everwyn, Willem]. Hollandsche naklank, op d'Engelsche eergalm, van zyn koninklyke majesteit William. Amsterdam: Jan Rieuwertsz, [1689]. 4to (19.5 cm, 7.625"). A8; 15, [1 (blank)] pp. 
We were able to trace only one copy in the U.S. via OCLC, RLIN, and NUC Pre-1956, while STCN locates only one copy at the British Library.
• STCN 168904. Recent brown speckled wrappers. Closely trimmed in the bottom margin with loss of part of imprint and of guide words and signatures. Some spots of light browning and soiling. Rubber-stamp of a now-defunct library on title-page. Terse pencilled notations on title-page, and inked correction on p. 9.
TRULY International Warfare —
1635
Fernando, el Infante. Declaracion de sv alteza el serenissimo Infante Cardenal. Tocante à la guerra contra la corona de Francia. [Madrid]: Herederos de la viuda de Pedro de Madrigal, a costa de pedro Coello, 1635. Small 4to. [7] ff.
• Palau 69406. Old wrappers; some dustsoiling and age-toning.
Talmudic Commentary — Hebrew
& LatinFinzi, Solomon ben Eliakim. [two lines in Hebrew, then] Sive clavis gemarica .... Helmstadii: Georg. Wolfgangi Hammi, 1697. 4to (21 cm, 8.25"). (a)4(b)4(c)1A–H4I2; [18], 68 pp.
Click the interior images for enlargements.
Searches of OCLC, RLIN, and NUC Pre-1956 locate only three U.S. holdings.
• VD17 23:237187N; Zedner, Hebrew Printed Books in the Library of the British Museum, 716. Recent marbled paper–covered boards, front cover with gilt-stamped leather author/title-label (“Panzi”). Pages age-toned, with mild offsetting.
Early DESALINIZATIONfor SailorsFitzgerald, Robert. Salt-water sweetned; or, a true account of the great advantages of this new invention both by sea and by land: Together with a full and satisfactory answer to all apparent difficulties.... London: Will. Cademan, 1683. 4to (19 cm, 7.45"). π1A2B4C3; [2], 17, [1] pp.
Click the image for an enlargement. • ESTC R7382; Wing (rev.) F1087; Goldsmiths’-Kress 2518.0-2 suppl. Sewn, with spine and inner margins reinforced some time ago; now laid into a case of quarter morocco over cloth-covered boards. Pages age-toned, with small edge nicks; outer and upper edges trimmed closely, in some cases touching pagination. This collation, including the absence of C4, matches that reported by ESTC.
Were?
the Franciscans Getting
Too
Uppity?
Franciscans.
Satisfacion [sic] por la religion de S. Francisco al manifiesto
que se ha publicado, ocultando su nombre el autor. [Madrid, ca. 1671?]. 30, [1
(blank)] ff.
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the image for an enlargement.
• Not in Palau; not in Medina, BHA. Removed from a nonce volume. Title-page with shadow of pencilled numeral in upper margin; one leaf with institutional pressure stamp. Most leaves with old damage to outer margins, repaired of old in most instances, with loss of some words or letters from a number of shouldernotes; a few instances of early inked bracketing.
SPY CRAFT Friderici, Johannes Balthasar. Cryptographia, oder, Geheime schrifft-münd-und würckliche Correspondentz , welche lehrmässig vorstellet eine hoch-schätzbare Kunst verborgene Schrifften zu machen und auffzulösen. Hamburg Gedruckt bey Georg Rebenlein, in Verlegung des Autoris, 1685. 4to (20 cm; 8"). π4 (-π4) A–Z4 Aa–Mm4; [3] ff., 280 pp., 5 (of 6) plates; without the engraved title or the fold. plt. 
Click any image where the hand appears on
A fascinating volume of intelligence arcana. 
 TO Part
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