NAVIGATION and COMMERCE, their ORIGINAL and PROGRESS. Containing a succinct account of traffick in general; its benefits and improvements: of discoveries, wars and conflicts at sea, from the original of navigation to this day;

London, printed by T[homas] R[oycroft] for Benj. Tooke, at the sign of the Ship in St. Pauls Churchyard, 1674.. TITLE CONTINUED: with special regard to the English nation; their several voyages and expeditions, to the beginning of our late differences with Holland; in which His Majesties title to the dominion of the sea is asserted, against the novel, and later pretenders. By J. Evelyn Esq; S.R.S. From the ROBERT PIRIE COLLECTION. FIRST EDITION 1674. Small 8vo, approximately 185 x 115 mmm, 6¾ x 4¼ inches, woodcut headpiece and initial, pages: [8] including initial blank, 1-120, followed by Table [14], errata and 2 pages of adverts, collation A1-K4, A1 is a blank, K3 Errata on recto, verso blank, K4 advert leaf, Robert S. Pirie's bookplate to first pastedown, plus an old ink name (George Spens) dated September 15th 1684 on rear pastedown. Bound in full contemporary leather with modern reback, gilt lettered title label, gilt rules and date to spine. Slight damage repaired to top corner of upper cover, top corner of lower cover worn with tip missing, pale browning at edges of endpapers and all pages, first free endpaper has neat small repair to lower edge, pages 69-96 wormed to lower margins varying in size, 18 pages with slightly larger tracks all neatly repaired, not affecting text (see attached image), a few words have small old ink corrections, maybe in Evelyn's hand or printer's, as I have examined another copy with identical corrections. Corrections to 4 words and 3 letters, and underlining in 10 places, some very small. Originally written as the introduction to Evelyn's History of the Battle for Sovereignty over the Seas between England and Holland, which Charles II commissioned him to write. By the time it was published peace had been negotiated with Holland and the work gave such offence to the Dutch that the ambassador demanded its suppression. The rest of the work was given to Samuel Pepys in 1681 for his proposed history of the Navy. See: Sotheby's, Collection of Robert S. Pirie, 2015, Lot 356 (catalogue still online) stating: "One of the few copies in the original, uncancelled state"; Sotheby's, The Library of the Earls of Macclesfield, Part eight, page 131, No. 2654; Geoffrey Keynes, John Evelyn, A Study in Bibliophily, pages 201-206, No. 92; Christies catalogue 1974, A Selection from The Scott Library of Navigation and Marine Science, page 61; Catalogue of the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature, Volume 1, page 124, No. 2078; The Kress Library of Business and Economics, Volume 1, page 76, No.1358; Joseph Sabin, A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 23208; ESTC R8611. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE just click in the image, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.