•  Bound as above; spines sunned, joints and extremities rubbed, handsome nonetheless. Ownership indicia as above. All guard leaves present; one page in vol. II with small marking in upper margin, pages otherwise clean. A very nice set.  (41652)

Parker's biography is well illustrated with 32 black-and-white plates (including his frontispiece portrait) featuring the many people he met throughout his “lives” — early life, musical life, theatrical life, and pageant life (as the book is sectioned).

Binding:  Half red morocco double gilt-ruled, over red cloth sides; five raised bands to spine, lettering or elegant gilt floral decoration in ruled compartments. Top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges untrimmed. Signed by Bickers & Son.

Provenance & added material: Previously owned by Parker's friend “Saint” (unidentified; see further). Mounted on front free endpaper, a black and white photograph of Parker in front of shelves holding a glass collection; mounted underneath is a clipping from a letter: “Your very affectionate, Luigi.” On following verso, a newspaper clipping of an interview from 1932 is tipped in; on the next recto is mounted a letter to “Saint” (a delightfully written apology for the friend's absence in the book) with, on its second leaf, an original poem asking his friend to “accept this trivial book.” Additional newspaper clippings laid in. On rear pastedown, a black and white photograph with a small ink note indicating it is of Parker's salon; on rear free endpaper, Parker's obituary clipped from the Illustrated London News (as indicated by previous owner's pencilled note) dated 1944. Occasionally a pencilled word or checkmark; one clipping with cut-off words supplied in ink.

•  Bound as above, minor rubbing to corners, small stain and light fading to boards; offsetting to endpapers and soiling from glue used to attach ephemera, evidence of one glue-in removed. Evidence of readership as above; one checkmark in old-fashioned red pencil. A splendid, unique volume containing intriguing related ephemera — clearly owned by a special friend of Parker's.  (38018)

The Americana content is found in the first section of the volume, dedicated to “deists,” chapter XI (subsections xxvi–xxxii); the natives discussed include those of Canada (Hurons), Virginia, Florida, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Earlier in the “deists” section there is equally interesting discussion of the afterlife in the religions for variousAfrican nations.

The title-page is printed in red and black with an engraved armorial design in the center. Several engraved historiated initials, including a few that show people holding books, and one engraved headpiece of women leading horses on clouds decorate the text.

Binding:  Uncut text in an 18th-century cartonné binding with an attractive hand-lettered vellum spine label.

Provenance:  “Ex Libris P. Josephi Sacella” written in the bottom margin of the title-page; Sacella has also inked a few words (mostly obliterated) to the front pastedown and a manicule within the text.

•  Alden & Landis, European Americana, 748/147.   Uncut and bound as above, corners bumped and binding rubbed with some loss of paper at front bottom corner, binding dust-soiled and spotted. Volume with final blank (only) lacking and with markings as noted above; half-title with loss of some paper at fore-edge. One leaf detached and two with short to medium marginal tears; central gatherings with a very pale, old, circular stain across gutter reaching type on a few leaves only; and a few leaves creased or with small spots. A handsome text interestingly cased.  (36831)

•  Palau 220773.   Contemporary mottled calf with gilt-stamped red leather title-label; minor wear to edges and extremities. Half-title rubber-stamped, no other markings. Pages age-toned with a few scattered instances of faint spotting or smudging.  (29867)

The forematter includes a history of the text, a bibliography, a study of medieval customs and the characteristics of the protagonists and antagonists, and an introduction to the versification.

Binding:  Contemporary dark brown morocco, covers framed and panelled in gilt fillets with gilt-tooled corner fleurons, spine gilt-lettered and with gilt-beaded raised bands and compartments stamped similarly to covers using same tools; board edges with gilt fillet, free endpapers in maroon silk. Doublures of brown morocco matching covers and stamped more ornately, in foliate and floral designs. Top edges gilt, page edges otherwise untrimmed; silk place marker. Front pastedown (doublure) signed, gilt-stamped, “The Harcourt Bindery.”

Provenance:  From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Bound as above, spine gently and evenly sunned to olive and spine edge of front cover slightly so, extremities lightly rubbed. Some gatherings in introduction and in notes unopened. Minor foxing throughout, pages otherwise clean. A great example of the binders' style/philosophy rewarding those who care actually to open their subtly-finely bound volumes; “but look, here's more!”  (37751)

The "Story of the Country-Mouse and the City-Mouse," Prior's satiric and politically motivated response to Dryden's "Hind and Panther," is not included, but the long pieces "Solomon on the Vanity of the World" and "Alma" are present. The "Life of Mat. Prior" in the first volume commences beneath a small engraved portrait.

Binding:  Later sprinkled calf, covers gilt-ruled with gilt inner dentelles, spines gilt extra with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels. All edges saffron.

Provenance:  Both volumes with armorial bookplates of Sir Robert D'Arcy Hildyard.

•  On Prior, see: Dictionary of National Biography, 397-401. Leather cracking over joints with hinges tender; spine tips a little dry and pulled; upper and outer edges of all covers somewhat darkened; light wear to extremities. Light foxing to some pages. In fact a very handsome pair. (3402)

Procter was a philanthropist as well as a poet, involved in several charitable and feminist causes, and contributed to Dickens' Household Words under the pen name “Mary Berwick” in hopes that her work would not be judged based on her father's friendship with Dickens. She died shortly before the publication of this new edition of her poems.

Binding:  Red morocco over bevelled-edged wooden boards, spine with gilt lettering, rules, and stamped compartment decorations of acorns and oak leaves; covers with a wide composite gilt border incorporating laurel crowns and more oak'y ornaments surrounding a large gilt spray of holly and ivy. Marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

•  Eckel, First Editions of the Writing of Charles Dickens . . . A bibliography, pp. 163–64; Podeschi, Dickens & Dickensiana, B293.   Bound as above, heavy boards sometime separated and reattached; extremities rubbed with spine pulled. Dedication page mentioned by Eckel lacking; foxing and minor staining to edges of frontispiece portrait with one other illustration and adjacent page foxed also. Previous owner's notes in pencil on front endpapers. A Good+ copy (priced accordingly) of this attractive production.  (37385)

Binding/Provenance: Prize binding of contemporary vellum, covers framed and panelled in gilt rolls with gilt-stamped corner fleurons and gilt central vignette with the crest of the city of Amsterdam, spine with gilt-ruled raised bands and gilt-stamped decorations in compartments. The partially printed, partially inscribed, bound-in prize certificate reads “Ingenuo magnaeque spei adolescenti, Henrico Gerteler propter insignes in artibus humanioribus progessus, in classe tertia . . . Quod testor R. v. Ommeren [/] Gymnasii publici Amstelaedamensis Rector,” dated 1791.

•  Brunet, IV, 905; Dibdin, I, 385–86; Graesse, V, 460; Sandys, II, 455; Schweiger, II, 831. Binding as above, vellum slightly darkened, lacking ties; spine with gilt dimmed and traces of a now-absent label and inked call number at foot of spine. Lower edges with institutional rubber-stamp; title-page with shadow of a pencilled numeral. Front free endpaper with paper adhesions from a now-absent bookplate; back pastedown with rubber-stamp and small adhesion. Pages clean save for offsetting to upper margins of a few, from a laid-in slip.  (20594)

Provenance:  Front fly-leaf of vol. I with affectionate inked gift inscription from David Williams to John Griffiths (both academics of the University of Oxford, as referenced in the inscription), dated 1854. Front pastedowns each with 19th-century bookseller's small leather label (“the most Expert Bookfinder Extant”).

•  Brooks 361; Brunet, V, 916; De Lama, II, 52–53; Dibdin, II, 360–61; Graesse 467.   Bindings as above, edges and extremities rubbed, spine labels with small repairs. One of the most desirable editions of this important poet, here in an attractive copy with delightful provenance.  (40137)

In the series Collection des auteurs classiques, françois et latins, this was issued in the same year in 4to and 18mo formats. The present, octavo format is not only handsomely conceived butvery “handy in the hands.”

Binding:  Full crushed red morocco, gilt spine and boards, signed Petit Succs. de Simier; gilt rule on board edges, gilt rolls on turn-ins, marbled endpapers, green silk placemarkers. All edges gilt. Each volume in a light board open-back slipcase covered with marbled paper.

Provenance:  Bookplates of Casimir L. Stralem, Clarence E. Clark, and Brian Douglas Stilwell, the trio presenting an appealing set of styles.

WorldCat locates copies of this edition in this format at only four U.S. libraries (UCLA, Georgetown, Library of Congress, Harvard).

•  Bulletin de la Librairie Morgand et Fatout 10951; Brunet, V, 1078–79; Jammes, Les Didot, 25.   Bound as above, joints of all volumes slightly cracking with volumes otherwise only lightly worn; some tape repairs to the delicate slipcases. Age-toning and foxing of faintest varieties only. Very Good. (40317)

So Much of the Diary, here in its 1845 second edition, was originally printed in 1844, while Some Further Portions is here in its first printing.

Binding:  Contemporarymatched bindings done by Zaehnsdorf, signed on each front turn-in: brown morocco, framed and panelled in gilt and black fillets with gilt-stamped fleur-de-lis corner fleurons, turn-ins similarly designed, and board edges with gilt roll; spines with gilt-stamped titles and volume labels, blind-stamped compartment decorations, and gilt-stamped fleurs-de-lis in compartments. Top edges gilt. Back pastedown of each volume with gilt-stamped example of Zaehnsdorf's oval medieval bookbinding apprentice device, from a design by Jost Amman.

Provenance:  Front fly-leaf of second volume with a woman's tantalizingly not-quite-decipherable ownership inscription: “E[something] Anne Fan[something!]s [/] Farnley 1848.”  Most recently in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  NSTC 2R2740 & 2R2743; Ing, Charles Whittingham: Printer, 1795-1876, 32.   Bindings as above, variously rubbed to extremities; offsetting to endpapers from turn-ins. Vol. II with ownership inscription as above. Pages lightly age-toned with occasional minor smudges or spots; front fly-leaf of vol. II (only) more notably spotted. A handsome set of an intriguing Victorian — and feminine — perspective on the domestic side of this dramatic period in the 17th century.  (37855)

These volumes offer his “Composiciones líricas originales” in vol. I and “Composiciones dramáticas originales” in vol. II. The frontispiece is a fine lithographic portrait of Don Ignacio, in Romantic style of course; there is a liberal use of handsome tailpieces. The whole was compiled and edited by the author's brother Antonio.

This first edition is uncommon in our experience as dealers in Mexicana.

Provenance:  Masonic stamp, “Porfirio del Rio” on title-page; inscription to fly-leaf of A. Quijano, 1916.

•  Palau 273981; Sabin 72510.   Handsome contemporary quarter red morocco with red mottled paper sides, boards rubbed; spine exuberantly tooled in gilt, bright. Foxing and spotting variously; provenance indications as above.  (31961)

Binding:  19th-century black pebbled calf, spine with gilt title surrounded by various double gilt rules and arabesque stamps, covers framed with double fillets in blind around two drawer pulls connected by a rule of dots surrounding a mostly oval gilt foliate design. All edges gilt; original brown silk ribbon placeholder present. Front pastedown with binder's ticket of T. Edmondson, 38 Marketplace, Lancaster.

Provenance:  With gift inscription “Elisabeth Sophia Jameson to her much Loved Daughter Maryanne Jameson Lancaster July the 7 1848" on front fly-leaf in ink and a pencilled note “C.S.F. July 10 1915" immediately below. A small rubber-stamp green monogram, possibly C.S.F.'s, appears at the bottom of the title-page. Most recently in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Binding as above, very gently rubbed at corners and joints, top back joint (outside) just starting, front cover very slightly splayed. Light age-toning throughout, a handful of specks, one small marginal spot. Provenance markings as above, binder's ticket offsetting to front endpaper. Despite the sound of the necessarily recited faults, this isa strong, lovely copy of this handsome production.  (38254)

•  Brunet, IV, 1421. Contemporary black half morocco over blue pebbled cloth, spine beautifully gilt extra, leather edges ruled in gilt; volume clean and virtually unworn. Front pastedown with private collector’s bookplate and with institutional rubber-stamp (no other markings); some soiling and offsetting to front pastedown and free endpaper. Many leaves lightly to moderately foxed, a few more heavily — the paper here was not as good as it might have been. One leaf with short tear from upper margin, touching page number but not text. An attractive production.  (19301)

Binding:  Contemporary green straight-grain goat, spine gilt extra; both boards with a gilt double-rule outer border and an inner center frame of single gilt rule with large gilt corner devices. Board edges with a gilt roll; narrow turn-ins with a different gilt roll. All edges gilt.

Searches of WorldCat locate only six U.S. libraries (IU, NjNbT, PPiT, IEN, NNC, NNG) reporting ownership.

•  Binding as above; spine sunned to olive, front cover with scuff sometime well disguised, boards showing signs of having been bent some time ago. Bookplate and label as above. A very few light spots of foxing, pages overall clean and crisp. Very good condition. A very attractive book.  (39223)

Binding:  Contemporary black pebbled leather with beveled edges, covers with deeply impressed double windows and arch design surrounded by corner decorations of quatrefoils in rondels, spine with gilt-stamped title and blind-tooled fleurons between raised bands, board edges and turn-ins with gilt rolls. All edges gilt.

•  Binding as above, front joint and hinge refurbished, light wear to edges and extremities, small scuff to lower edge of front cover. One preliminary leaf with pencilled source notation in inner margin, dated [19]37, and with rubber-stamped numeral in lower margin; first text page with institutional rubber-stamp in lower margin. Back free endpaper with traces of paper adhering to upper portion. Pages clean.  (40628)

The text was first published in 1647; although the title-page and WorldCat records give the publication date of this printing as 1847, Kelly and Keynes suggest 1848.

Binding:   20th-century brown textured calf, spine lettered in gilt with leaf stamps in compartments, covers framed in double blind fillets with crosses at corners and an intricate oval stamp at center; blind dotted roll along board edges, blind double fillets on turn-ins, Fountain marbled endpapers, all edges stained red. Binding signed by Rivière.

Provenance:  Armorial bookplate of the Bell family (a fess ermine between three church bells, with motto “promptus sum”) at front; most recently in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Kelly, Checklist of Books Published by William Pickering,1848.12; Keynes, William Pickering (rev. ed.), p. 57; NSTC 2S3189. On Saltmarsh, see: Oxford DNB (online).   Binding as above, a few very gently rubbed spots. Pages very clean save for light age-toning and one small spot to half-title. Bookplates and labels as above, a few small pencilled bibliographic notes on endpapers. A nice copy of a Pickering and Quaker classic, in a very attractive binding.  (39483)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with bookplate of Robert Wayne Stilwell, front free endpaper with bookplate of Brian Douglas Stilwell. Front fly-leaf with faded inked gift inscription dated 1837.

•  Brooks 598; De Lama, II, 107; Giani 72 (pp. 54-55); Brunet, V, 156; Graesse, VI, 279.   Bound as above, extremities unobtrusively refurbished; front joint unobtrusively starting from head. Bookplates and inscription as above, front and back free endpapers with later pencilled bibliographical notes. Charming. (40170)

•  VD16 ZV13747.   Contemporary alum-tawed pigskin over wood boards with bevelled edges, remnants of metal clasps, and covers richly blind embossed using rolls with religious imagery (Crucifixion, saints, etc.); vellum of spine dry and with tears (but “all there”), boards with some loss at corners/edges (but with tooled vellum all there”!), both boards heavily wormed with pinhole-type worming extending well into text both front and back (although this is such a thick book, such a “tome,” that the worms did not reach the middle of the text block, and in fact their work does not much endanger confident reading). First leaf of Scapula's preface lacking, that leaf replaced with an unrelated engraving; title-page tattered at edges and largely separated, with a good many leaves dog-eared or creased across corners; old, generally light staining or soil variously and occasionally a leaf with an old marginal tape repair. A solid, decent, interesting, and surprisingly clean although minorly defective copy.  (32630)

Binding:  Full speckled sheep, four raised bands; tooled in blind using rules and a rope-design roll. Binding attributed to Philadelphia-area binder Christopher Hoffman, who was both a Schwenckfelder minister and a binder!

Provenance:  “To Isaac Jeackle in Herreford 1791" on front fly-leaf. Hereford is in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

•  On Hoffman as a binder with an illustration of a nearly identical binding, see: Maser, Bookbinding in America, 15.   Binding as above, chip to bottom of front joint; old library rubber-stamp on front pastedown and to title-page verso, with a bit of old pencilling. Without the half-title and pp. 465–68; title-page with short closed tear along gutter. Paper with the usual age-toning/foxing, but untattered. All edges heavily sprinkled red.  (28536)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with armorial bookplate of John Train.

Binding:  Contemporary maroon straight-grain morocco framed in wide gilt border and panelled in gilt single fillet, spine with gilt-stamped title and decorations, board edges (at corners) and turn-ins with gilt roll. All edges gilt.

•  NSTC 2S9246.   Binding as above, moderately rubbed; hinges (inside) slightly tender. Front free endpaper verso with inked ownership inscription.  Light to moderate foxing throughout, pages otherwise clean.  (30141)

Binding:  Brown (vol. I) and red (vol. II) morocco with beveled boards, five raised bands to spines and gilt lettering/devices in compartments; front covers with gilt tripled-rule borders, gilt lettering, blind-stamped corner decorations, and, within central oval frames defined by beaded gilt swags, compound recessed medallions each composed of a (faux?) tortoise shell oval surrounding and securing an inlaid silk panel embroidered with adifferently colored colorful wreath of flowers. Rear boards bear same borders and corner devices in blind, with a blind-stamped central quatrefoil medallion; all edges of both volumes gilt, with bookmarks of purple (vol. I) and green (vol. II) silk ribbon present. While the bindings are clearly intended as a pair, the differing colors of the leather, bookmarks, and flowers in the insets make this an interesting sort of set.

Evidence of Readership: On verso of front fly-leaf of vol. I, a previous owner's neat pencil notes on purchase history. Small, marginal pencil marks throughout the middle section of vol. I.

•  Bound as above, rubbed; vol. II lacking tortoise frame on front board, leaving board underneath exposed and embroidery slightly soiled (although, usefully, this shows some of the area's underlying construction). Minor foxing throughout, with more severe foxing to title-page and frontispiece of vol. I; bookmarks with fading and loss at ends. Charmingly bound set; blemished, still pleasant and sturdy.  (37361)

Owner's modification: The word “Pax” is neatly printed in black ink on the book's back cover, gently arced above the engraving; and “Roosevelt” has been similarly added to the back of the slipcase, with “Post Lux Tenebras” being artfully placed below the engraving.

•  Faxon 1303.   Binding as above, back inside cover with brown silk pull-tab intact, joints very skillfully refurbished with long fiber and then toned; extremities gently rubbed. Front free endpaper pencilled with old bookseller annotations. Pages and plates generally clean with very occasional light foxing; guard leaves with predictable offsetting. Case somewhat rubbed with extremities chipped at corners but completely sound and with the described embellishments. A lovely little gift book, with the original (and early for its kind) slipcase.  (36042)

•  Palau 137466; Sabin 68390. Victorian acid-stained sheep with gilt spines extra. Marbled edges. Tape adhered to one title-page at inner margin. Ownership signatures on title-page. A nice set.  (3584)

Binding: Signed presentation binding by Miguel Ginesta II of Madrid, of oxblood straight-grain morocco, covers framed in double gilt fillets surrounding gilt-stamped arabesques and the gilt-stamped coat of arms of Queen Isabella II of Spain; spine with gilt-stamped title and arabesques. Board edges and turn-ins gilt-stamped, pink moiré endpapers, all edges gilt.

Provenance: Infante Duc de Montpensier (sixth son of King Louis Philippe), husband of the Infanta Maria Louisa (Queen Isabella’s sister), with his bookplate.

•  Palau 236716. Binding as described above, covers showing only very minor wear, spine slightly faded. Front pastedown with bookplate described above. Pages gently age-toned, a few showing mild foxing but most clean. Very attractive. (5749)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with bookplate of Francis John Breck, Jr., dated 10/29/72. Later in the library of Robert L. Sadoff, M.D., sans indicia.

•  Binding as above, spine and edges sunned to brown, joints opening from head and foot, edges rubbed. Endpapers with offsetting from turn-ins and front free one loosening; pages slightly age-toned. A handsome example of this enduring classic, with Mackenzie'slovely, lyrical illustration.  (39825)

Evidence of Readership: A reader has helpfully added inked marginal reference numbers approximately every eight lines, for ease of navigation, and entered one small correction in an early hand.

Provenance:  From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Schreiber, Colines, 68; Renouard, Simon de Colines, pp. 166–7; Moreau, Éditions parisiennes du XVI siècle, III, 2292; Adams S1957.   Bound as above, gently rubbed with some loss of leather at corners; joints (outside) refurbished and front one beginning to crack but covers solidly attached. A few pencilled notes on endpapers; faint touches of hand-coloring on title-page and (perhaps) one leaf of text. Light age-toning with a handful of spots, three small marginal paper flaws including one to title-page; two other small holes and one repair. Provenance and readership markings as above, perhaps a third of the marginal numbers partially trimmed. A pleasurable book to hold oruse.  (38144)

Binding:  Publisher's ribbon-embossed brown cloth with flower and acanthus leaf design (Krupp's style ft1), spine with gilt-stamped title.

•  American Imprints 53164; Adams, Manual of Historical Literature, 168. On the binding, see: Krupp, Bookcloth in England & America, 1823–1850, ft1.   Binding as above; corners rubbed and small rubbed spot on front cover, spine extremities chipped, spine head with small lightly discolored area from now-absent label. Ex–social club library: bookplate and early inked call number on front pastedown, title-page pressure- and (faintly) rubber-stamped. No other markings. Front hinge (inside) partially reinforced with paper some time ago. Scattered light staining. A nice book.  (26289)