[MARY KNOWLES' COPY - (?) ENGLISH QUAKER MYSTIC / POET / FEMINIST]. The Way to Christ Discovered and Described
by BOEHME, Jacob (1575-1624)
- Used
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Lockhart, Texas, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Bath: S. Hazard for T. Mills, 1775. 8vo. xvii, [3], 445, [1] pp. Modern full calf, red morocco spine label. Displeasing glue residue in gutter margin of first blank and title-page, both of which are a little browned, age-toning throughout (not objectionable); top edge of textblock with stain near the head-cap which did not permeate through the text itself. Provenance: Mary Knowles (contemporary signature on title - see below). A good copy, with faults, and priced accordingly. Was the "Mary Knowles" who first owned this 18th-century English translation of Boehme's first work the same as the well known English Quaker, mystic, poet, feminist, and abolitionist, namely Mary (Morris) Knowles (1733-1807). While we have been unable to procure an autograph of Mary Morris Knowles with which to compare the two signatures, if she did not own this particular copy of Boehme, it is almost certain that she had in her library at least one of Boehme's texts.
This edition was published by Thomas Mills (ca. 1735-1820), formerly a clerk in the one of the Countess of Huntington's chapels where he preached "in the Methodist way." It is not without interest that in 1778 Mills became a Quaker (sic).
A German shoemaker turned mystic, Boehme's writings found renewed interest in England during the late 18th century, influencing Quakers, Methodists, and mystics alike (William Blake in particular). Indeed, Blake "inherited from Boehme the ideas which formed the foundation of his philosophy and his myth" (Gerald Bentley, "William Blake and the Alchemical Philosophers," B.Litt. Thesis, Oxon., 1954, p. 233)
Our copy is COMPLETE. The only other copy of this edition on the market is both ugly and seriously defective, lacking everything after p. 390.
ESTC T216620. On Mary Knowles, see: J. Jennings, Gender, Religion, and Radicalism in the Long Eighteenth Century: The "Ingenious Quaker" and Her Connections (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2006). J. Jennings, "Mary Morris Knowles: Devout, Worldly and 'Gay'?" (in: Quaker Studies, Mar. 2010, vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 195-211).
This edition was published by Thomas Mills (ca. 1735-1820), formerly a clerk in the one of the Countess of Huntington's chapels where he preached "in the Methodist way." It is not without interest that in 1778 Mills became a Quaker (sic).
A German shoemaker turned mystic, Boehme's writings found renewed interest in England during the late 18th century, influencing Quakers, Methodists, and mystics alike (William Blake in particular). Indeed, Blake "inherited from Boehme the ideas which formed the foundation of his philosophy and his myth" (Gerald Bentley, "William Blake and the Alchemical Philosophers," B.Litt. Thesis, Oxon., 1954, p. 233)
Our copy is COMPLETE. The only other copy of this edition on the market is both ugly and seriously defective, lacking everything after p. 390.
ESTC T216620. On Mary Knowles, see: J. Jennings, Gender, Religion, and Radicalism in the Long Eighteenth Century: The "Ingenious Quaker" and Her Connections (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2006). J. Jennings, "Mary Morris Knowles: Devout, Worldly and 'Gay'?" (in: Quaker Studies, Mar. 2010, vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 195-211).
Details
- Bookseller
- Michael Laird Rare Books LLC (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3220
- Title
- [MARY KNOWLES' COPY - (?) ENGLISH QUAKER MYSTIC / POET / FEMINIST]. The Way to Christ Discovered and Described
- Author
- BOEHME, Jacob (1575-1624)
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- S. Hazard for T. Mills
- Place of Publication
- Bath
- Date Published
- 1775
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
14 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 14 days after delivery if an item arrives mis-described or damaged.
About the Seller
Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
Biblio member since 2007
Lockhart, Texas
About Michael Laird Rare Books LLC
Welcome to Michael Laird Rare Books, LLC. We specialize in fine and rare books, manuscripts, documents, ephemera, fine and historic bookbindings, and illustrated books of every description. Michael Laird is a member of the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America), ILAB (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers), and the Appraisers Association of America (USPAP compliant, and AAA certified in the appraisal of Rare and Antiquarian Printed Books). Michael Laird earned his masters degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin (1989) and has more thirty years experience in the antiquarian book trade. He is the principal Rare Book and Document appraiser at Winston Art Group (New York) and Gurr Johns (New York). From 2002 until 2013 he taught advanced graduate level courses in Rare Books and Special Collections (Palmer School of Library and Information Science at Long Island University, and the School of Information at The University of Texas at Austin School of Information).
We invite you to browse through a selection of our inventory: we strive to present the greatest historic detail and bibliographic accuracy, even for lesser priced - but no less interesting - items. We are happy to provide further images of any item: please inquire.
Order with confidence: we select every item with great care and discernment; moreover, we examine every page of every book. We are always interested in purchasing fine and rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera; please inquire. We very much appreciate your interest in our work, and your patronage. Thank you!
We invite you to browse through a selection of our inventory: we strive to present the greatest historic detail and bibliographic accuracy, even for lesser priced - but no less interesting - items. We are happy to provide further images of any item: please inquire.
Order with confidence: we select every item with great care and discernment; moreover, we examine every page of every book. We are always interested in purchasing fine and rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera; please inquire. We very much appreciate your interest in our work, and your patronage. Thank you!
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Spine Label
- The paper or leather descriptive tag attached to the spine of the book, most commonly providing the title and author of the...
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...