1) [drop title] Comedia famosa. El monstruo de los jardines. [colophon: Barcelona: por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [1760–70]. [18] ff. “Num. 39" in upper right corner of first page.

2) [drop title] Comedia famosa. Apolo y Climene. [colophon: Valencia: En la imprenta de la Viuda de Joseph de Orga, 1767]. 42 pp. “N. 121" in upper left corner of page 1. Colophon pasted over with a slip: “Se hallara esta con un surtido de Comedias antiguas y modernas, Tragedias y Saynetes en la Libreria de Gonzalez, calle de Atocha, frente de la Casa de los Gremios.”

4) [drop-title] Los tres mayores prodigios. Comedia famosa. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [24] ff. No sequence number on first page.

5) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El laurel de Apolo. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [16] ff. “Num. 157" in upper right corner of first page.

7) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Ni amor se libra de amor. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [24] ff. No sequence number on first page.

8) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Auristela y Lisidante. [colophon: Barcelona: por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [1760–70]. [18] ff. “Num. 73" in upper right corner of first page.

9) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Fineza contra fineza. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [24] ff. No sequence number on first page. Comprised of pp. 449 through 496 of vol. 2 of the 1760 Apontes edition of Comedias del célebre poetia [sic] español, don Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

10) [drop-title] La gran comedia. Los tres afectos de amor, piedad, desmayo, y valor. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1761]. 49 pp. No sequence number on first page. Comprised of pp. 1 through 49 of vol. 5 of the 1760 Apontes edition of Comedias del célebre poetia [sic] español, don Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

11) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El hijo del Sol Faeton. [colophon: Barcelona: por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [1760–70]. [20] ff. “Num. 43" in upper right corner of first page.

12) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Eco, y Narcisco. [colophon: Valencia: En la imprenta de la Viuda de Joseph de Orga, 1767]. 36 pp. “N. 117" in upper left corner of page 1.

13) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Darlo todo, y no dar nada. [colophon: Barcelona: por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [1760–70]. [20] ff. “Num. 80" in upper right corner of first page.

14) [drop-title] Comedia bvrlesca. Cefalo, y Pocris. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [16] ff. No sequence number on first page. (pseudo-Vera Tassis, IX, 9).

15) [drop-title] La gran comedia. Zelos avn del ayre matan. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1683–1715]. 38 pp. No sequence number on first page. This pp. 259–296 of Vera Tassis, II, 7.

16) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. De la estatua de Prometeo. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [18] ff. Num. 194" in upper right corner of first page. Lower margin closely trimmed with loss of some signature markings.

17) [drop-title] El mayor encanto amor, comedia famosa. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. 48 pp. No sequence number on page 1. (pseudo-Vera Tassis, II, 2).

18) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Amado, y aborrecido. No place: no printer/publisher, no date [Spain, ca. 1750]. [18] ff. “Num. 314" in upper right corner of first page.

19) [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El golfo de la Sirenas. Egloga piscatoria. [colophon: Barcelona: por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [1760–70]. [12] ff. “Num. 47" in upper right corner of first page. Some words in English translation in margins, 19th-century hand.

•  Unless otherwise stated, all reference numbers are to Riechenberger, Bibliographisches Handbuch der Calderon-Forschung. 1) 1476; 2) 388; 3) 2622; 4) 1852; 5) 2579; 6) 997 (Pseudo-VeraTassis 3); 7) 1502 (Pseudo-VeraTassis 3); 8) 467; 9) 1023; 10) 1871; 11) 1174; 12) 896; 13) 736; 14) 603; 15) 613; 16) 972; 17) 1352; 18) 319; 19) 2564.   20th-century quarter brown calf with marbled paper sides; spine titled in gilt “Comedias famosas.” Condition of sueltas and plays greatly variable from clean to browned and waterstained; some few closely trimmed with actual texts never touched. Item 4: lacks first gathering (i.e., the “loa”). Item 7: last leaf tattered with small loss of perhaps ten words. A handy and informative collection.  (35212)

Additionally appearing are various tables and charts, including genealogical tables; a chronological register of Hebrew high priests; a comprehensive chronology of general Bible history; a Jewish calendar; and an extensive index of authors' names included in thebibliography of the best sources on Scripture that precedes the dictionary in vol. I. The second volume closes with a “Dissertatio de tactice hebraeorum” by D. Equite Volard.

Bindings: Contemporary blind-tooled alum-tawed pigskin over beveled wooden boards, tooled using a variety of rules and foliate rolls and stamps in concentric rectangular panels to frame a central lozenge (constructed of multiple stamps) on each cover. Each volume bears remnants of two clasps, and both spines have raised bands with author and title written in early ink in the upper two compartments. Blue edges.

Provenance:  Discalced Carmelite Convent at Schongau, Bavaria (early ink inscription, title-pages, both volumes).

•  Graesse, II, 20n. See Brunet, I, 1495; and Vancil, pp. 44–45.   Binding as above, scuffs and dust-soiling; spine of vol. II pulled and lower spines speckled with ink. Ex-library: bookplates of two collections on front pastedowns and fly-leaves, stamp on bottom edges and rear pastedowns, call number on spines (crossed out), and penciling from a third library on front pastedowns. Clippings from old booksellers' descriptions on front pastedown of vol. I. Both title-pages trimmed just grazing print; title-page in vol. I tipped onto following leaf, with tear in outer margin and another starting near printer's device; otherwise the odd small marginal tear or isolated stain only, and occasional light foxing in both volumes including to plates. Very minor worming to one plate in vol II. An indispensable reference and an illuminating “browse.”  (30573)

Following the half-title is astunning added engraved title-page by Pietro Marini after the drawing by Pietro Andrea Bucciar di Barberi. The printed title-page is handsomely presented in black and red with an engraved vignette by C. Gregori.

Provenance:  In the 19th-century in the Theological Institute of Connecticut (i.e., Hartford Theological Seminary); deaccessioned ca. 1980; acquired by Pitts Theological, Emory University; deaccessioned and acquired by PRB&M in 2000; sold immediately to a private collector; reacquired by PRB&M in 2016.

•  Palau 41558; this title not in DeBacker-Sommervogel (in either language).   Vellum over heavy pasteboards, vellum age- and dust-soiled; board edges rubbed with some small loss of vellum, joints (outside) starting to crack, edges mottled red. Small pressure- (not perforation-) stamps in margins of some leaves. A very good copy of a handsome and noteworthy book.  (36744)

•  Removed from a nonce binding, with stab holes, signatures intact but sewing gone; title-page with paper shelving label in lower inner corner, early pencilled inscriptions in upper portion. Edges uncut. Occasional light spotting, most to front wrapper, otherwise clean; some bits unevenly/lightly inked.  (30928)

Includes decisions of the Sacro Regio Consiglio and an index. Title-page in black and red; text printed in double-column format in roman and italic.

•  Palau 44244.   Contemporary vellum over paste boards with remnants of ties; vellum of the back cover of vol. I and front cover of vol. II rodent-gnawed along fore-edge with loss of vellum exposing the boards. Front hinges (inside) of of both volumes mostly open but text blocks still adhering nicely to binding. Occasional age-toning. Good++.  (29363)

This scarce example of job printing for the Church is not located in the standard bibliographies and NUC and WorldCat locateonly one copy worldwide, at the Bridwell Library.

•  Not in Medina, Mexico, nor González de Cossío, Cien, González de Cossío, 510.   Age-toned, edges variously with tattering; some dust-soiling, a light waterstain, and later creasing.  (41010)

•  Not in Weale & Bohatta.   Bindings as above, edges and extremities rubbed, spine leather with tiny cracks, one spine head chipped, one joint starting. Ex-library with bookplates, rubber-stamp on lower edges of pages of the closed volumes. One volume with text block separating from spine and sewing loosening; this with the most leather rubbed away and the darkest instances of the usually-light waterstaining and spots of foxing seen occasionally throughout. Endpapers bear early inked ownership inscriptions and annotations. An elegant quartet.  (12406)

Provenance:  Contemporary ownership signature of Fr. Cristobal de Parayso on verso of title-page.

Searches of OCLC, the NUC, and COPAC reveal no copies of this edition in U.S. libraries.

•  Bound as above, with light rubbing and some darkened leather, dust-soiling (or evidence of old polish) around clasps, and clasp attachments having a little poked through endpapers with small spots of associated discoloration but no apparent continuing danger. Moderate age-toning with a few leaves crinkled along edges from gauffering or with a small spot, one leaf with short internal tear; ownership signature as noted above and date lightly pencilled on back fly-leaf. A lovely, ornately embellished, and lovable book.  (36927)

Provenance:  Inscription “Ex Lib (?) Ma[ri]ae Nicolai Stanislav Meucci Ex dono Δ.Μ.Κ. 1737 26 [Dice]mbre 1738 12 Nov. 1792 26 [Dice]mbre 1739" (probably a monk in an unidentified Orthodox monastery of Sts Mary and Nicholas); 19th-century stamp Pallavicini to front pastedown. Most recently in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

WorldCat locates four copies, only two in the US (Princeton, Dayton).

•  Contemporary limp vellum, title inked to spine; spine a little creased with two small wormholes at tail. Text is age-toned and clean, with tiny chips (really “nicks”) to a fore-edge or two only. Treasurable. (41302)

•  Brunet, I, 1756; Palau 54187.   Contemporary treed sheep, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-ruled bands; binding lightly scuffed (most notably at spine), spine with tiny pinholes, front joint just starting from head. Front pastedown with attractive small ticket of a prominent Madrid bookseller. Pages generally lightly age-toned with scattered faint spotting; some leaves browned.  (29248)

Documents such as these showing the growth and development of haciendas in the central part of Mexico are fairly common but extremely uncommon for the Yucatan. Similarly colonial-era documents in Nahuatl are fairly commonly available in the marketplace but comparable ones in Maya are rare. This is the first gathering of land documents for the Yucatan and the first manuscripts in Maya that PRB&M has had in its decades of dealing in Mexican colonial-era manuscripts — see images below for the latter.

(We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the state archive of the Yucatan in explaining the significance of the stamps of the Land Inspection Section that appear in some of the documents. It is good to be assured that they are indication of private, not government, ownership.)

•  Each cahier is housed in a Mylar sleeve and the five are contained in a blue cloth clamshell box. Condition is extremely variable: as above, one cahier has extensive worm/insect damage, another has faded ink, and others are just fine. Stamps are present as mentioned above. A rare surviving compilation and one that is instructive from multiple perspectives.  (40308)

Second thoughts here raise the question, though — maybe this wasn't censorship but rather an expression of erotic interest or, um, art appreciation?? Maybe someone wanteda nice little nude to keep in his pocketbook??????

•  Contemporary mottled calf framed in triple gilt fillets, spine gilt extra, all page edges marbled; binding with expectable acid-pitting and minor cracking of the leather over the spine and joints. One (and only one) signature foxed, leaves otherwise clean. A handsome book, defaced in a way that is depressing but also interesting.  (11896)

The title-page features a woodcut vignette of Paul, chained in the dungeon, handing Onesimus the letter to deliver to his master Philemon. This printing is uncommon, with a search of WorldCat locating only a handful of U.S. institutions reporting actual hard copy holdings.

Provenance:   From the chapbook collection of Albert A. Howard, sans indicia.

•  ESTC T48869.   Removed from a nonce volume, title-page with early inked numeral in upper outer corner and pencilled publication date annotation in lower margin. Pages clean.  (41156)

There are two primary variants of this chapbook, one giving J. Marshall in London as the primary seller, and the present example giving Hazard in Bath; neither is common. This issue does not include the “Cheap Repository” header, and the “Entered at Stationer's Hall” line has been blacked out; the very largetitle-page woodcut shows our poor sinner on his knees as a cock crows beside him.

•  ESTC T109549; Spinney, Cheap Repository Tracts: Hazard and Marshall Edition, 5.   Simply stitched as issued, signatures uncut and edges untrimmed (but easily manipulated for reading). Title-page with early inked numeral in upper margin. Faint minor spotting to title-page, otherwise clean. A desirable copy, in its original state.  (41202)

Provenance:  From the residue of the stock of the F. Thomas Heller bookselling firm (est. ca. 1928).

•  Blake, NLM 18th Century, p. 86; Wellcome, II, 334. Not in Garrison & Morton.   Early plain paper–covered boards, spine with hand-inked paper shelving label; binding much worn overall with joints cracked, loss of paper at corners and spine head. Pages waterstained. Early underlining and occasional marks of emphasis in red pencil to roughly first half of volume. Another sort of survivor?  (40581)

Provenance:  With the large black and white bookplate of Detroit-based collector Dr. O.O. Fisher. Most recently in the residue of the stock of the F. Thomas Heller bookselling firm (est. ca. 1928).

•  Blake p. 86; Heirs of Hippocrates 481; Osler 2303 (2nd edition); Cushing C211; ESTC T58019.   Contemporary plain brown calf, new spine labels; front joint (outside) partially open, rear one abraded, rear free endpaper lacking. Only a minimal amount of spotting in the text. Live long and prosper, if you follow his advice.  (39820)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with armorial bookplate (“A ma puissance”) of the Earl of Stamford.

•  ESTC N32874; Gaskell, Baskerville, 12.   Binding as above, extremities rubbed, sides with small scuffs. Front pastedown with bookplate as above, bookplate bearing inked numeral in red. Pages gently age-toned with a few instances of light spots of foxing, otherwise clean. An attractive production in an attractive copy.  (30966)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with armorial bookplate of collector William Gott (1797–1863, father of John Gott, Bishop of Truro) with motto “Nec temere nec timide.” Neat note on rear free endpaper indicating book was purchased from the Pickering firm and then rebound by Hayday.

Binding:  Signed binding done by James Hayday (1796–1872), an eminent London binder: Early 19th-century dark blue morocco, spine gilt extra. Covers framed in gilt rolls surrounding central gilt-stamped composed medallions; board edges and turn-ins with gilt roll. All edges gilt. Front free endpaper stamped “Bound by Hayday.”

•  BCP: Griffiths, Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer, 1762:8; Gaskell 20; ESTC T87226. Sternhold & Hopkins: ESTC T87252; Gaskell 21. Brady & Tate: ESTC T107540; Gaskell 22.   Binding as above, light rubbing to extremities, small scuffs to covers; back free endpaper with small inked annotations regarding purchase and binding costs.   First few leaves browned, varying degrees of mild to moderate foxing elsewhere. A handsome example of both Baskerville's printing and Hayday's binding skills.  (35341)

•  ESTC T1702. Recent marbled paper–covered boards, front cover with printed paper label. Half-title lacking. Title-page and two others stamped by a now-defunct institution; leaves with reinforced tears at inner margins.  (10360)

The Traité is a history of divination (i.e., the prediction of the future) in ancient Western and Middle Eastern cultures. Discussing its origins and its main kinds (artificial and natural), it considers divination through dreams, prodigies and presages, and the function of the Aruspices.

Isocrates’s Discourse addresses “the behavior of honest men in the course of life,” with didactic advice.

Trojet's title-page is in red and black with an emblematic engraved vignette; his last four pages give a “Catalogue des livres francois qui se trouve à Amsterdam, chez Isaac Trojel,” with an interesting selection promised.

Binding: Contemporary calf, covers gilt ruled and spine gilt extra with gilt-lettered morocco label. Gilt inner denteles, blue endpapers, edges speckled red. Red silk ribbon book mark present.

Provenance:  18th-century French inscription on the fly-leaf.

WorldCat locates no copies in the U.S.

•  Dorbon, Bibliotheca Esoterica, 746; Quérard, II, 203. Not in Caillet; not in Coumont..   Bound as above, a little scuffed; evidence of mismanaged binding acid, especially at one corner, and front endpapers abraded. A handful of leaves slightly browned (poorly dried) or with the odd, small, light dampstain; text generally clean, with a couple of blank margins unobtrusively strengthened.  (41303)

Rare:  ESTC locates three copies in Britain and only one in the U.S., but we know of two others.

•  ESTC T71519.   Self-wrappers; spine rebacked with paper; rubber-stamp on first page. A few closed tears or instances of shallow chipping, not affecting impression, with paper repair on the verso of the first leaf. Outer pages lightly foxed and soiled, interior pages with occasional spots of foxing or soiling.  (7583)

Each volume commences with a copper-engraved frontispiece and title-page vignette, the former done by Robert White after a painting by Lely, the latter signed M[ichael] Burg[hers]. Burghers also engraved a substantial number of head- and tailpieces for the work, as well as decorative capitals.

•  ESTC N9847, N9850, T147811; Brunet, I, 81; Allibone 385.   Contemporary speckled calf panelled in blind with plain calf, decorated with blind-tooled corner fleurons, spines with gilt-stamped leather title-labels; edges and extremities rubbed, joints cracked or starting, some acid-pitting to speckled portions, spines each with small paper shelving label. Each front pastedown with institutional bookplate over private collector's bookplate, and with early inked gift inscription. Title-pages with small institutional rubber-stamp in lower margin; half-titles lacking. Pages generally clean; occasional minor spotting mostly confined to margins. One instance of early inked marginalia.  (24574)

Provenance:  W.G. Ramsay SO.CA. stamped at head of title-page; the “SO.CA.” may indicate “South Carolina” and associate this book with the physician son of David Ramsay — public official, historian of the American Revolution, and physician who introduced the smallpox vaccine in his region. (The younger Ramsay was particularly interested in racial differences, and not in what the 21st century would consider to be a good way.)

Evidence of readership: Three neatly pencilled short notes to the Introduction.

•  ESTC N10137; Garrison & Morton 1674; On Cleghorn, see: DNB (online).   Recent half navy blue buckram and blue marbled paper–covered boards, new endpapers; binding irregularly sized and half-title lacking. Title-page heavily repaired with former owner's signature excised from top right corner. Light to moderate age-toning and waterstaining with the occasional spot; first gathering darkened and partially detached. Medical practice here is an adventure.  (36126)