Rare books from Abbey Antiquarian Books

London: James Collins and Sam. Lowndes 1st first edition, 1682, 1683. Hardcover. Good. Lacks frontispiece (supplied in facsimile). 5 complete titlepages for the. TWO WORKS in One Volume. Octavo newer calf spined marbled boards (tips rubbed/sl.marked) lacks engraved frontis leaf as does the British Library copy but here supplied in facsimile mounted onto old fly leaf. Collation: [46]pp (inc. Titlepage in red & black, titlepage to Lux Orentalis dated 1682 & prelims) +151pp +[13]pp (inc. titlepage to Discourse of Truth dated 1682) +165-195 +[7]pp (inc. titlepage to Annotations upon the Two foregoing Treatises "by one not unexercized in these kinds of Speculation" dated 1682) +171pp +[7]pp (inc. titlepage to Annotations upon the Discourse of Truth .. Dr.Henry More dated 1683) +173-276 +[4]pp catalogue of books printed for Lowndes. Lacks pp131-2 (leaf supplied in facsimile). Titlepage browned/dusty with old name Joh: Wetherby to margin, corners rounded, margins bit chipped, 2nd title with another name… Read More

Franckfort am Mayn (ie Frankfurt): Sigmund Feyrabend Buchhandler, 1580. Hardcover. Very Good-. Large scene of knight in armour on titlepage + full-page allegorical plate of three graces and flying Mercury signed I A [Jost Amman] & MF +156 full-page woodcuts of men in armour with their shield coats of arms.. Folio in morocco spined boards (tips bit worn). Title in red & black + 2pp (preface and intro) + captioned full page plate as half title (numbered p3) +4-162pp +[2]pp (colophon with large printer's emblem and blank verso), but seems to lack a final blank leaf. At page 55 is a full-page half title with over 30 figures while at page 103 and 145 are divisional titles with large decorative tailpieces. This divides the men in armour into 4 parts and the last plate in each section has a monogram CW for Christoph Weiditz. Generally a very clean crisp copy, except for light browning of titlepage, final blank and a few other leaves, small brown marks on last page not affecting colophon, and light marks of… Read More

Wittenberg (Vitebergae), 1570. Hardcover. Good. Octavo near-contemporary reversed calf with blind-stamped cartouche designs (tips and spine heavily worn with some loss of leather) xii +370pp + [32]pp index. Titlepage has tear (repaired) without loss and ownership inscription dated 1739, a few other early annotations, else clean and tight. *The second part of Carion's Chronicle edited and expanded by Melanchthon was first published in Wittenberg in 1560, 2 years after the first part. This appears to be the 2nd edition of Part 2, with no publisher given. Caspar Peucer published Part 3 - Charlemagne to Frederick II - in 1562, and Part 4 (titled by mistake "quinta pars") Frederick II to Charles V in 1566. This 2nd edition is rare, no copy found in library catalogues. It was followed by a 1573 Wittenberg edition published by Johannes Lufft with the same pagination. The four parts were first published in one volume in Wittenberg by Johannes Crato in 1572.

Basel Switzerland: Froben (in officina Frobeniana per Hieronymum Frobenium et Nicolaum Episcopium), 1559. Hardcover. Good. Fine Froben printer's marks on titlepage and colophon, large figurative initials at head of each section as used in Froben editions from 1515 [cut by Faber from designs by Hans Holbein the Younger] + smaller historiated initials throughout.. Folio rolled pigskin on wooden boards, floral borders surrounding rolls of Biblical scenes with texts & the Virtues, spine with early manuscript title and 4 double raised cords, title also faintly written at foot of central front cover compartment (pigskin lacking along lower half of front hinge repaired with vellum underlaid, all cords firmly attached, some light stains & damage to pigskin more on upper than lower cover, lacks all brass clasps/corner ornaments) [12] +886 +[34]pp index. Fine early coloured armorial bookplate, with neat library shelf marks on pastedown and at top of title, lower gutter of first 24 leaves damaged by former… Read More

London: T. Spilsbury for W. Herbert 2nd edition., 1768. Hardcover. Very Good. Double-page copper-plate bird's eye views (61 complete) of estates in Gloucestershire by J. Kip + double-page map of the county, plan & view of Gloucester City, and cathedral view + 8 single page plates with 320 small coats of arms.. Folio half brown calf and cloth sides with spine gilt titled (tips leather worn, spine rubbed & bottom edge shelf wear). Titlepage with decorative woodcut + [6]pp Preface & Advertisement +[16]pp coats of arms printed one side only + [2]pp author's epitaph and plate list + double-page Map of Glostershire +452pp + [6]pp Index. Ex-library with bookplate of Cheltenham Library Reference Department to pastedown + partially legible stamp of "Glos. Withd** for sale" to free endpaper. Light stain to top margin of title and 3/4-inch circular library stamp at foot, neat manuscript shelf mark & date on blank verso. The same small round purple stamp neatly placed on top corner margin & blank verso of each… Read More

Frankfurt: Andreas Wechel first edition, 1578. Hardcover. Very Good. Printer's mark of flying horse over cornucopia & hand from cloud holding caduceus to titlepage + same printer's mark slightly larger to verso of last leaf + floral, foliate & historiated head- & tail-piece & initials.. Folio handsome 18th century gilt ruled and sprinkled calf with 6 raised bands, the compartments & bands gilt but without a title on the spine (small chip out of head of spine/edges sl.rubbed). All edges sprinkled with red dye [8]pp prelims + 320pp + [28]pp index, publisher's imprint and large Wechel printer's mark. Some marginal damp marks to top corner but not affecting the strength and crispness of the paper nor the text. Name Fletcher to top of titlepage. A very few notes or marks to margin. *History of Louis XI & Charles VIII by de Commynes, shortened history of memorable events by Froissart and a further work, by de Seissel. Scarce volume of Medieval French history OCLC locates only 6 copies.

London: Daniel Frere to be sold at his shop at the Red Bull in Little Brittaine 1st edition first printing., 1643. Hardcover. Very Good-. Frontispiece of Charles Prince of Wales by Cor(nelius) van Dalen + fine engraved titlepage by W. Marshall with views of London, York, Lincoln & Kings etc.. Folio contemporary brown marbled calf on five raised bands with gilt directly lettered to spine (tips worn/hinges split to top & bottom compartent of front hinge but hinges still well attached & sound). Frontis portrait + engraved title + dedication leaf to Charles Prince of Wales + To reader +[5]pp of Authors used as sources + 181pp +163pp +108pp +163pp collated complete. The To Reader & Author list are Misbound at the end (signed from A2 where they should follow the dedication). The last leaves of text are correctly signed XXXX (pp161-3) last is a quarter page of text ending in FINIS. The frontis has a longitudinal crease and a corner torn away not touching either the printed area nor even the plate mark,… Read More

Paris: Francis Muguet first edition, 1685. Hardcover. Good. Frontispiece of ship and dolphin by L. Moreau with French royal coat of arms + large copperplate headpiece incorporating Louis XIV's coat of arms + decorative initals and a few headpieces.. FIVE VOLUMES quarto full leather bindings, corners bare, hinges cracked but still securely held. A second spine laid over original at an early date with different gilt decoration, chipped and damaged but repaired where necessary, so the set is not quite uniform in gilt decoration. All edges sprinkled red and black. Vol I Frontis (reinserted) + titlepage with fleur-de-lys printer's mark +[66]pp prelims +815pp +[1]p privilege; Vol II 657pp (inc. titlepage) +[1]p privilege; Vol III 645pp (titlepage & privilege included); Vol IV 927pp (titlepage included) +[1]p privilege); Vol V 1015pp (inc. titlepage & privilege). Some damp staining, most pronounced in Vol II which also has some grey staining to the footnotes of Book 8 while latter half of Book 9 and first… Read More

London: Printed by Tho. Johnson for the author, and are to be had at his house in White Fryers. First edition., 1670 from signed Preface. Hardcover. Fair. Full-page emblematic copperplate frontis of AFRICA with black figures, camel, crocodile & lion + full-page plate of Egyptian Mummies + 46 copper engravings in text, but LACKS all 53 engraved plates & maps inserted on tabs in other copies of first edition.. Folio near-contemporary blind-tooled leather-covered boards, 19th century spine reback (recently repaired) in leather on raised bands with gilt rules, tips worn, leather on boards scuffed). Bookplate T.D. Bland Esqr. Kippax Park and earlier name Ri: Proctor on pastedown. Half title as required in 1st edition "ENGLISH ATLAS Tome the First", original printed Title lacking (supplied in colour facsimile tipped in), [xii]pp (Dedication to Charles II, Preface signed "John Ogilby From my House in White Fryers, April 28, 1670", Royal Licence dated 1669, Catalogue of Authors Consulted) + 767pp + [1]p… Read More

Cambridge: Printed by John Hayes for the Author., 1688. Hardcover. Very Good. Portrait frontis of King Edward III holding orb & sceptre + 2 full-page plates (the King and Edawrd the Black Prince both in full armour with troops and French cities in background). . Folio in 4's (37x24cm) contemporary blind-stamped and ruled leather, spine on 6 raised cords (rebacked in matching leather but corners and edges worn). Armorial bookplate on pastedown of Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840, architect commissioned by George IV to remodel Windsor Castle), ownership inscription George Knapp April 11th 1853 on free endpaper. Titlepage printed in red & black +[7]ll (dedication to James II, contents) + 911pp +[1] final blank, collated complete. Plates and text pages crisp and clean throughout, original binding well repaired in matching leather.

London: William Du-Gard, by the appointment of the Council of State: and are to be sold at the Sign of the Ship at the New-Exchange., 1652. Hardcover. Very Good. Frontis copperplate of Britannia ruling the waves by S. Cline, Jnr. engraved at London by Lombart + fine copperplate device of Commonwealth Arms on Title + 6 large text illustrations and maps at pp 85, 185, 222, 245, 366 & 394 (a gold Rose-noble of Edward. Large quarto contemporary sheepskin, spine on 6 cords (original covers bare at tips and foot of spine but underlaid with small matching leather repairs), [48]pp (inc. frontis & facing page of verses "Neptune to the Common-wealth of England", Titlepage in red & black, Dedication to "The Supreme Autoritie of The Nation, The Parliament of the Common-wealth of England" signed by Marchamont Nedham, November 19, 1652, Author's Preface dated 4 November 1635 and Contents) +176pp, 179-274, 279-472, [471-2 & 477-8 repeated in place of 473-6 omitted in binding], 477-500 + [2] blank + [10]pp (inc.… Read More

London: Richard Field (1561-1624), 1619. Hardcover. Very Good-. Large publisher's emblem of an anchor held by the hand of God entwinned with laural branches[?] in a baroque cartouche frame motto Anchora Spei In total there are 5 titlepages with the same publisher's woodcut in two sizes.. Folio contemporary blind ruled calf on 6 raised bands gilt ruled to each side of bands [worn/corners exposed & sl.damaged/hinges cracked but covers securely held by cords] titlepage + [4 ff] +598pp + [9 ff=index] lacks the blank before the title and the blank at the end of the index. The first few leaves incl.the title are sl.creased, the title has an owner's name and date 1628 written in ink in the top margin, this has been read as "H Cromwell, Upwood, 1628" likley the uncle of future Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. Chronography from p544 which contains some worming to bottom corner. One leaf with marginal tear without loss and not near any text and a few marginal old worm tracks never touching text otherwise a… Read More

Basel: P. Perna for H. Petri (acc. To Adams but not named here)., 1560. Hardcover. Very Good. Some historiated woodcut initials. . Volume I (of II) Octavo (165x110mm) contemporary blind-stamped vellum. 8 leaves (TP, intro letter by Andrea Alciati, Preface) +821pp (1st 18 Books of the History), Latin text. Faint water-stains in margins of 1st 40pp with some spotting, else clean and crisp throughout. Referenced by Adams G 655 (1st vof 2 Petri editions), VD 16 G 2072. *Rare early edition (ten years after first) of celebrated chronicle by this Florentine physician, with eyewitness accounts of battles in Italian/Turkish wars, and events in France, England and elsewhere. A notable primary source for the history of that period.

Lyons: Bartholomeus Vincentius, 1572. Hardcover. Very Good. Emblematic publisher's device on titlepage VINCENTI + a few foliated capitals + printer's device on colophon, Joannes Marcorellius.. Octavo (175x115mm) fine stamped vellum, central portrait with text, floral borders and inked-in initials ARW + date 1592, central coat of arms on rear board, spine on 6 cords, clasps missing with marginal tear showing old MS on underlying vellum, [32],601,[7]pp (collated complete a-b A-2P). Worming without loss of text in margin of front board and on 1st few pages. Old library stamp with MS nr on front pastedown, stamp "Bibl. Gymn. Goth" on TP verso, very neat early Latin marginal notes on about 150pp, else clean & crisp throughout. This book supposedly gave Nevizzano a reputation as a misogynist. *Rare early medical text book on marital sex and related Canon & Roman Law, only 5 copies noted in British libraries.

Argentorati (Augsburg): Theodosius Rihelius, 1572 [from dedication]. Hardcover. Good. Woodcut printer's devices on title pages; woodcut initials. . Octavo (165x90mm) Vol. 1 only (of 2) original vellum with yapp edges title in old ink on spine 893+[73]pp Scolia & Index. Dedication dated XIIII. Kalend. Aprilis. A.D. 1572. Greek (text of H. Estienne) and Latin text of J. Crespin's edition, Geneva, 1560-67) on opposite pages throughout. Pages very browned thoughout but Latin & Greek text entirely legible. Referenced by Brunet III 272, Adams H764. Publisher Rihel was active 1560?-1619.