Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border: Consisting of Historical and Romantic Ballads, Collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland; With a Few of Modern Date, Founded Upon Local Tradition by Scott, Sir Walter - 1802

London: J. Tonson And J Watts, 1725. First English Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. 128 Plates; Headpieces And Tailpieces. [2], [22], 571, [12]. Errata At Bottom Of Last Page Of Index At End. 128 Full Page And Double Page Plates. 41.5 X 27 X 6 Cm. Full Diced Calf, Binding Professionally Re-Backed To Style, Gilt, Original Dark Green Marbled Endpapers, Corners With Minor Repairs. Contents Clean, Square. No Marks.

London: S.n., 1703. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. In two volumes. 8vo., full cont. calf, rebacked with a later spine, raised bands, leather spine labels, (28), 381, (17) index; vii, 391, (16)pp. index. Frontispiece. Front board of volume two reattached with archival tape, chip to spine head of volume one, wear to extremities, a very good set. Scarce. Pieter de la Court [1618-1685) was a dutch economist who believed in the early economic importance of free competition. De la Court published his works anonymously on the Dutch Republic, politics, and the history of Holland. Some of these works having been attributed to his brother Jacob. This book contains a series of moral fables, followed by explication of the tale as an interpretation of the economy and politics in Holland and the Netherlands on topics of taxes, the Republic, and Commonwealth.

1723 Scheuchzer SWISS ALPS Voyages Illustrated Switzerland Zurich Bern Travel

Johann Jakob Scheuchzer was an early 18th-century Swiss scholar who is best remembered for his incredible travelogues. Beginning in 1702, Scheuchzer traveled to nearly every corner of Switzerland focusing his excursions on natural studies, mountains, and glaciers. And while most of the work was scientifically accurate, he does include anecdotal evidence of dragons! According to Fischer, Scheuchzer was the first to make the nature of Switzerland be the focus of any comprehensive research.

This report was published under the title 'Itinera Alpina' – an itinerary of his adventures in the Swiss Alps. This 1723 Leiden edition was published by Vander Aa, and is notable for its exquisite full-page illustrations of cities views, natural bridges and waterfalls, and Swiss relics. This example is the first two volumes of Scheuchzer's famous travel work.

Item number: #9594
Price: $2950
SCHEUCHZER, Johann Jakob
Ouresiphoitēs… Read More

1785 ENORMOUS Works of VOLTAIRE French Science Physics Newton Kehl ed 60vols
"Let us read and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world."
― Voltaire
Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote thousands of books and letter and frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
This enormous set of 60 volumes was published in Kehl and contains many of Voltaire's most famous works. It also contains his physics studies and correspondence, much of which had never been published.
Item number: #17869
Price: $3500
VOLTAIRE
Oeuvres completes de Voltaire
[Kehl]: De l'imprimerie de la société littéraire-typographique, 1785-89.

Details:
· Collation: complete with 60 volumes (of 70)
o Wanting volumes 52-61
o 15 engravings + 3 portraits of Voltaire
· Language:… Read More

[THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.]
True first edition.

Mémoires De La Vie Privée Écrits Par Lui-Même, Et Adressées À Son Fils ; Suivis D'un Précis Historique De Sa Vie Politique, Et De Plusieurs Pièces, Relative À Ce Père De La Liberté

This book is the first edition of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Printed in French.

Printed in 1791.

The first edition was in French. This book is printed in French. This is correct.
The first English edition of 1793 is the first English edition, it is not the first edition. It was directly translated from this 1791 French book.

The American Edition from 1793 was translated from this book. The true first edition of the Autobiography was in French.

The binding is original.
Leather supple. Hinges sound. Quality rag paper.
Title page margin was professionally conservated, not affecting text.
First few pages have ink stains at the top as shown in the pictures.
Binding is original. Text is complete. The blank end papers look like… Read More

1723 1st ed Mathematics Instruments Bion Engineering Science Navigation PhysicsRare 1st English edition of Bion's famous mathematics treatise!'The Construction and Principal Uses of Mathematical Instruments' is an important mathematics treatise by Nicolas Bion which is considered "the most famous book devoted to instruments." (Knight). Bion was a 17th-century engineer and math tool maker who was well-known for being the king's engineer.This 1723 first English edition includes all 26 full-page and folding engravings – a highly desirable book! Illustrations in this book depict navigational tools such as compasses, ships and ship masts, armillary spheres, and protractors; it also includes maps, clocks, sundials, globes, vacuum pumps, pendulums, mirrors, telescopes, and more!Item number: #5166Price: $2500BION, NicolasThe construction and principal uses of mathematical instruments : Translated from the French of M. Bion, ... To which are added, the construction and uses of such instruments as are omitted… Read More

1744 RAREST George Anson Voyage to South-Seas South America Brazil Peru Chile

George Anson was an 18th-century British Navy admiral who is noted for his important world voyage in which he circumnavigated the globe. This voyage, beginning in 1740, was initiated in order to disrupt Spain and their acquisitions from the Pacific – even though the squadron saw certain danger.
"Anson's voyage is remembered as a classic tale of endurance and leadership in the face of fearful disasters" (Rodger, 239)
He saw substantial victory by capturing Spanish ships carrying pieces of eight, silver, and other treasure; thus, allowing Anson to return home a very rich sailor. This voyage took Anson and company into South America and home by way of China – a true world voyage!

Authorship of this work is held with some ambiguity. According to the DNB and Sabin,
"A claim was made that the work was written, not by Mr. Walter, but by Mr. Benjamin Robins. This has never been substantiated except by mere assertion; and… Read More

1742 1st Astronomy by Roger Long ZODIAC Planets Comets Navigation Newton Physics
Roger Long was an 18th-century English astronomer from Cambridge. While little is known of his life, he is certainly best-known for his book 'Astronomy' – a thorough treatise studying all aspects of astronomy. In this treatise, Long covers the surface and phases of the moon, planetary orbits, the rings of Saturn, comets and meteors, behavior of sunlight, the zodiac and astrological signs, as well as the importance of astronomy on navigation.
While the contents of this book are extensive, the full-page and folding engravings set this work apart from other astronomy texts of this era.
Item number: #18660
Price: $2950
LONG, Roger
Astronomy : in five books
Cambridge: printed for the author: 1742-1764 (i.e. 1784). First edition.

Details:
·
Collation: Complete with all pages; 5 books in 2 volumes
o
Vol. 1 (Books 1-2) – xvi, [8], 356
o
Vol. 2 (Books 3-5) – iv, 357-728, [14]
o Illustrated with 97 full-page… Read More

Though experiencing somewhat of a critical comeback, Phebe Gibbes remains a relatively obscure author about whom little is known, despite having published a good deal in her lifetime. Her works were published anonymously, and she explained this in a letter of appeal for financial support to the Royal Literary Fund - her family "rejected every species of Literature, except devotional" and she herself was of a "withdrawing turn of temper." She claimed to be the author of several anonymous pieces; in her letter, she also enclosed an attestation by Joseph Johnson, one of her publishers, that she was the author of Elfrida, or Paternal Ambition, which had been published anonymously. Despite her withdrawing nature, Gibbes' writings were full of pronounced views on freedom of marriage choice, lack of educational opportunities for girls, women's role in society, and the evils of gambling. Indeed, the financial difficulty that led her to write to the Royal Literary Fund was due in part to her father-in-law's… Read More

1785 James Cook Pacific Voyage Illustrated Eskimos Hawaii TAHITI Human Sacrifice
"Remember, the greater the opportunity, the fewer are those who see it."
– James Cook
James Cook was an 18th-century British explorer known for these three major world voyages. The third Pacific voyage, which began in 1776, took Cook and his crew around New Zealand and Hawaii. On this trip, Cook became well acquainted with the King of Hawaii, Kalani-opu'u. After spending time in the South Pacific, Cook also took his ship northward to the Aleutian Islands reaching to the Arctic Circle. Cook eventually died upon his return to Hawaii, after angering the King of Hawaii.
The events of this voyage became quite popular in the western world, much in part to the narrative that Cook himself wrote concerning the journey.
This 1785 edition of the third voyage was stunningly bound with all four volumes bound in two impressive tomes. In it, authors describe Cook's experiences in the Arctic Circle and the Pacific Ocean and his voyage… Read More