Rare books from Calix Books

Bewick, Thomas: (1753-1828) History of British Birds. The Figures Engraved on Wood by T. Bewick. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 containing the description and history of land birds etc. Newcastle: Sol. Hodgson; Edward Walker 1797; 1804, 1804. 2 vols. 8vo. xxx, [ii], 335, [1]; xx, 400 pp. With 233 cuts of birds in the text. Contemporary half-polished calf over boards, spine gilt; an excellent copy with respect to the interior of the book. Unfortunately the board is detached and nearly off. This copy is signed by Henry Oates and presented to him by his Aunt Ann Rayner in Dec. 1797. Ascended from Joseph Henry Oates to Lawrence (Titus) Oates who accompanied Scott on his expedition to the South Pole.
First edition, second issue as shown by the presence of the words "Wycliffe, 1791" from the figure of the sea eagle on p. 11 of Volume I. Mottled calf over paper boards with some damage to the leather on volume one and volume two. Occasional spotting but otherwise a nice clean and internally bright copy. This is a very… Read More

La Georgica di Virgilio, 1549 Nuovamente di latina in toscana favella, per Bernardino Daniello tradotta, e commentata. Appresso Ioan. Gryphio, In Venetia (Venice). [7], 105 leaves ill. 21 cm. Language: Italian descriptor: Agriculture -- Poetry. Didactic poetry, Latin -- Translations into Italian. Named Person: Virgil. Georgica -- Translations into Italian. Note(s): Printer's device on t.p.; initials./ Translation of Georgica. 1549 Collation as follows with corresponding notes to the colophons and images. [blank], a4-b4; Primo-A4-H4; Secunda-I4, K4-P4; Terzo-P4 verso, Q4-T4; V4, X4; Quarto- X4 verso, Y4-Z4; AA4-CC4, [blank]. 1549. Type set at last page. Four etchings three similar and one different.
A very nice and rare book in excellent condition from the famous presses of Giovanni Gryphio. The translation of Virgil's works.
Bernardo Daniello was a native of Luca and died in Padua in 1565. This work was published during his life and is a translation of Virgil's four works. He was known as a… Read More

Gertrude the Great, Saint. (1256-1302) Pratiqve Des Exercices Spiritvels, Tirée Des Oevvres de Sainte Gertrvde. Vtile & profitable à l'Ame devote, qui desire s'avancer à la perfection. Avec plusieurs Meditations & salutaires enseignmens, tant pour les personnes seculieres, que pour la Profession Religieuse, & la renovation des Vœux. Nouvelle Edition, reveuë, corrigée, & mise en la pureté de nostre langue. Et enrichie de plusieurs figures en taille douce. Paris: Chez Iean Covterot, ruë S. Iacques, au petit Iesus, prés les Mathurins, 1668. An extremely rare book. No copies found in any of the libraries. Copies of Jean Couterot's works only hold small numbers in libraries across the world. His publications were very small runs and a limited number have survived. Saint Gertrude the Great:8vo, 5.94 x 3.25 in. a8, e2, A-Z8/4, Aa-Zz4/8; lacking the engraved frontispiece (of Saint Gertrude), but with twenty one full-paged engravings, and four full-paged engraved tables. The engraving on page 272… Read More

Butler, Samuel. "Hudibras. The First Part. Written in the time of the late Wars". [4], 268 pages. First Authorized Edition, first issue, with "Saint" in imprint spelled out in full; errata is present, lacking the imprimatur leaf (dated Nov. 11, 1662), and all textual errors uncorrected. London: Printed by J.G. for Richard Marriot, 1663. [bound with] "Hudibras. The Second Part. By the Author of the First". [4], 216 pages. Also, third part dated 1678. Bound in exceptionally fine binding and in very good condition with the bookplates of Daniel Henry Holmes, an avid book collector. This edition certainly is one of the rarest being that it is a first issue. A pirate copy came out the year before in 1662 and all proceeds from the sale of the book by the thief were recovered by Butler. Collation is as follows: [2 blank], TP, A3-8, B8-I8, K-R8, 2nd TP, B-I8, K-O8, P4, 3rd TP, A-I8, K-R8, S7, [2 Blank].Hudibras by Samuel Butler is a critique of the English Civil War and pokes at the Puritans and their military… Read More

Extremely Rare Book Publication! The only library that has a copy of this book is the: Bayerishe Staatsbibliothek. Le Lacrime di San Pietro di Luigi Tansillo Poema Sacro con Gli Argomenti, ed Allegorie Di Lucrezia Marinella ed Un Discorso Di Tommaso Costo. Giuntavi in Questa nuova Edizione la Raccolta delle sue Rime notabilmente accredsciuta. In Venezia Appresso Francesco Piagentini. MDCCXXXVIII (1738). ConLicenza De Superiori, E Privilegio.In Venice: Francisco Piacentini 1738, 1738. 3 parts in a volume in-4° (255x185mm), pp. (1), XXIV, 160, XXXII, 83, Nice mottled calf leather binding with gold filigree in bands on the spine. Original multi-colored internal boards with edging blue swirls decorate with an arabesque style. Text on two columns of the ten songs of the "Tears of Saint Peter" similar to the compositions of a religious character of the same Cost ("spiritual Rhymes over the effusion of the blood of Our Gentleman", "Sonetti to the image of the Crocifisso"), sonetti and the songs of the… Read More

Boon, Edward P. Catalog of books and pamphlets principally relating to America. New York 1870. Sold May 16th, 1870, by Leavitt, Strebeigh & co. 597 pp, 8vo, 24 cm. Edward P. Boon was a bookseller with an address of 86 Nassau St. New York. McKay 1554. This publication is 597 pages stuffed with information. Reprints are available but this is an original copy in rebound buckram. There is some damage what looks like wet ink staining ~20 pages and the last ~30 pages but does not affect printing. Binding is tight. A great reference work of the original publication. A rare book.

Burnet, Gilbert. (1643-1715) The Memoirs of the Lives and Actions of James and William Dukes of Hamilton and Castleherald, & c. In which an Account is given of the Rise and Progress of the Civil Wars of Scotland with other Great Transactions both in England and Germany, from the Year 1625, to the Year 1652. Together with many Letters, Instructions, and other Papers, Written by King Charles the I. Never before published, all drawn out of, or Copied from the Originals. London, Printed by J. Grover, for R. Royston, Bookseller to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, 1677. Folio, 12 x 7.5 in. First edition. []3, a6, B-Zz, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Lll4. Contains both portraits where other volumes are lacking. Also contains portrait of King Charles I praying and with much symbolism surrounding him of his divine rights. "[Burnet's] vacations were spent chiefly in Hamilton, where the duchess engaged him in putting in order all the papers relating to her father's and uncle's political careers. Lauderdale, who had his own… Read More

Ikebana Arranging Images; Kamata, Soseke, 1950's. A nice publication given to Julia Jane Jeffers Dodge while here husband was helping Japan recover after the war. Her husband Joseph Morrell Dodge had a long and distinguished career and tried to help reform Europe but later wound up as financial advisor to Douglas MacArthur in the economic revitalization of Japan. This edition is in very good condition internally. Photos of Ikebana arrangements by the famous Japan Ikebana master. A gift given to Julia Jeffers Dodge and placed in her library. 38 single sided (double page but other side blank) on high quality Japan paper with photo examples of Ikebana, black and white. A rare publication.

This is an exceptional copy with a large Quatro, in-4°, xi pp + 158 pp + 83 black/white photo plates each protected with a serpente leaf. The binding is a magnificent and elaborately bound copy. Bound by the Clarendon Press in Oxford ( signed on the inside of the front cover). Full red crushed morocco, on the front cover a panel stamp with the large coat of arms of the Goldsmiths Company with their motto Justitia, Virtutum, Regina (Justice endowed with the Queen), all gold tooled the back cover has a similar decoration but with a crowned lion's head instead of the arms, top edge gilt, raised gilt spine gilt title and year. Doublure with gold tooled leather border, binding signed at the lower end of the doublure '' bound at Clarendon Press Oxford ''. A remarkable copy with very light fox (all copies have this, apparently it's iron in the papermaking process)

Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Volumes 22-23 pages 542-558, signed "H. B. A" Leopold Von Ranke a review of his life. by Herbert Baxter Adams;
Adams was born to Nathaniel Dickinson Adams and Harriet (Hastings) Adams in Shutesbury, Massachusetts. On his mother's side, he was a descendant of Thomas Hastings who came from the East Anglia region of England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634.[1] Adams received his early training in the Amherst, Massachusetts public schools and Phillips Exeter Academy. He graduated from Amherst College in 1872. In 1873 Adams traveled to Europe to study and write. In 1874 he then moved to Heidelberg, Germany to pursue the Ph.D. degree. There he was influenced by Johann Gustav Droysen and Johann Kaspar Bluntschli, the latter also becoming his mentor. Heidelberg did not then require a thesis from its doctoral candidates, instead it required an oral examination, for which he chose political science for his major field (Hauptfach), with two minors… Read More

Descon, William Scarsh (circa 1840's), Unknown author. "A Nineteenth Century Eccentric: The horse racing life of Fulwar Craven (1782-1860)". A 22 page manuscript, never published as we can find. Details the life and times of Fulwar Craven, a spectacular horseman, gambler and businessman in the sphere of horse racing in the UK. Also included is one colored image of Craven, the second earlier image of him as an officer IS NOT INCLUDED."Eccentricity was a favorite whim of the Beaus of the Regency- I had nearly laid prose, but I think it was something more than that- and eccentrics were to be found taking a prominent place in Society when the nineteenth century was well on its way. When they took in sport as they generally did, they were sportsman of the best and the hunting field and the race course owes many a stirring anecdote to men like the Earls of Barrymore and their contemporaries and immediate successors. A notable man in his day was Mr. Fulwar Craven of Chilton. He was a good all round sportsmen… Read More

Hooker, Richard. (1554?-1600) Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie. Eight Bookes. London: by Richard Bishop and are to be sold by George Lathum, 1638. Folio, 11.4 x 7.6 in. Seventh edition. Fourth complete edition. A-Z6, Aa-Zz6, Aaa-Hhh6, Iii8. This copy is bound in modern full calf.
Richard Hooker:
"The adventures of this text [The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity] are among the strangest in literary history. The first four books were published in March 1593. The fifth followed in December 1597. In 1604 Dr. Spenser, President of Corpus Christi, Oxford, in a new edition of the Polity, stated that Hooker had finished the three further books he intended: that certain persons had rifled Hooker's study after his death, abstracted the fair copies and left only 'unperfect and mangled draughts;' from which draughts, nevertheless, 'there is a purpose' of publishing the best text now possible. After this, nearly forty years of silence. Then in 1648 we have an edition containing Books VI and… Read More

Willughby, Francis, and John Ray. (1635-1672) The Ornithology Of Francis Willughby Of Middleton in the County of Warwick Esq.; Fellow of the Royal Society. In Three Books. Wherein All the Birds Hitherto Known, Being reduced into a Method sutable to their Natures, are accurately described. The Descriptions illustrated by most Elegant Figures, nearly resembling the live Birds, Engraven in LXXVIII Copper Plates. Translated into English, and enlarged with many Additions throughout the whole Work. To which are added, Three Considerable Discourses, {I. Of the Art of Fowling: With a Description of several Nets in two large Copper Plates. II. Of the Ordering of Singing Birds. III. Of Falconry. By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society. Psalm 104. 24. How manifold are thy works, O Lord? In wisdom hast thou made them all: The Earth is full of they riches. London: Printed by A.C. for John Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society, at the Bell in St. Pauls' Church-Yard, 1678 Folio, 360 x 222 mm. First English edition.… Read More

Virgil, Publius. (b. BC 70) The Works of Virgil: Containing his Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. Translated into English verse; by Mr. Dryden. London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1697. Large Folio, 423 x 265. First edition. 640pp
One hundred and two full paged engraved illustrations. This is a large paper copy excepting for the first few pages exceptionally white and crisp. Lacks introduction to Lord Clifford and large plate of Virgil at the Senate. Most of the Life of Virgil, which contains the image of Virgil in the Senate is lacking. Title page remounted, Tear B1, somewhat affecting text and browned pages that correspond to other copies. Priced accordingly for this rare Subscribed Royal Folio First Edition. Rebound in a modern binding of mottled calf and tastefully restored.
John Dryden:
. "Virgil is the only complete representative of the deepest sentiment and the highest mood of his countrymen and of his time. In his pastoral and didactic poems he gives a living voice to the whole charm of Italy,… Read More

Colinis, Simon de (c. 1480– c. 1546). Proverbia Salomonis. Ecclesiastes, Cantica canticorum, Liber Sapientiat, Ecclesiasticus. Parisiis, Ex Officina Simonis Colinaeis. 8vo; [New Blank], a8-i8; k8-t8; v8-x8; [New Blank]. 168 numbered leaves ; 12 cm. Monsieur Nocolaus Dieu with filigree emblem and OVOD DEI DEO (God) on back board, plus gilt spine and cover. 1524. First edition. OCLC Number: 82770805; "Hieronymi praefatio in libros Salomonis."--Verso of the title page, and following leaf. Criblé and outline initials. Reprinted by Colines in 1526, 1527, 1535, 1539 and 1542. Red lined with type perfectly placed. Some cropping on rebind close to words but no loss of words. Fresh clean interior. Excellent condition. Early use of page numbers and chapter headings.
Simon de Colines (c. 1480 – c. 1546), a Parisian printer, one of the first printer type of the French Renaissance. He was active in Paris between 1520 and 1546. Colines used elegant roman and italic types and a Greek type, with accents,… Read More