Rare books from Robert McDowell Antiquarian Books

Paris: Mathurini Du Puis, 1634. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to. pp. [14], 853, [19], 126. Title in red and black with small crown vignette. Text is in Greek with Latin translation on opposite page. Bound in full red morocco (perhaps later 17th century) with spine gilt in 6 compartments - rubbed, chipped. Hinges and spine caps restored; careful repair to corner tips of front cover. All edges gilt. Pages contain minor scattered foxing and age toning. Inscription written in an old hand on verso of front blank. First printed edition of the "Excerpta Peiresciana" manuscript or "De Virtutuibus et Vitiis," part of a large Byzantine anthology of excerpts which were gathered from earlier Greek historical works and compiled under the direction of the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus (905-959 c.e.). The collection was arranged in 53 sections, 4 of which are extant - 1.) "De Legationibus" 2.) "De Virtutibus et Vitiis" 3.) "De Sententiis" 4.)… Read More

London: W. Owen, in Fleet-Street; J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall; J. Rivington, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; and T. Becket and P.A. DeHondt, 1772. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to. pp [6], xix, [5], 477. With 12 copper engraved plates and a fold-out frontispiece illustration of the Devitza Monastary near St. Petersburg - all by P. Mazell. The title page contains a vignette depicting the medal of Catherine II. Pages are generally clean with occasional mild specks of marginal foxing; faint library stamp placed in upper margin of title page. Bound in Modern half dark brown morocco with marbled boards and end papers. J.G. King [1731-1787] was Chaplain to the English Factory at St. Petersburg. He spent much time studying and observing Russian Orthodox practices. His work offers detailed descriptions and select translations of the various rituals, services and liturgies belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church. [ESTC T95407; Lewine, p.262; Brunet III, 661; Graesse IV, p.18; Lowndes p.1274]

Paris: Michel Bobin & Nicolas Le Gras, 1673. Hardcover. See Description. Third French Edition, revised and corrected. 4to. pp. [38], 754. Decorative initials and ornamental head pieces at the beginning of each chapter. Contemporary calf boards (rubbed, corners neatly restored) re-backed including new hand sewn headbands. Original end papers are preserved but worn at the edges. Two names are written in a contemporary hand at the top of the title page (1 name is crossed out). Another name (also crossed out) is inscribed beneath the imprint; a small shelf number is written in the upper right corner. Pages are generally clean with occasional minor soiling and spotting. A narrow piece is missing from the upper margins of pp. 311-320 (4 cm. long x 5-7 mm. deep) - either from rough opening or from a manufacturing error; brown ink spot on fore-edge of text block; leaf T2 marked S2. Leaves remain untrimmed after last re-sewing. Descartes's "Meditations metaphysiques" was first published in… Read More

Paris: J. Barbou, 1762. Hardcover. See Description. 12mo. 3 vols. Vol. I. pp. [4], xii, 328 Vol. II. pp. [4], 376, [8] Vol. III. pp. 396. Contemporary marbled calf with flat spines gilt in five compartments including morocco labels. All edges gilt. 3 engraved frontispieces and 3 vignettes by Eisen. Spines re-capped. Small amount of hinge and corner restoration. Printed on fine crisp Holland paper. Name in old hand written in upper corner of front blank. Bookplate on inside front cover. A good example of publisher Jean Joseph Barbou's series of classics. Barbou's classics were designed in both their correctness and in their beauty to supplant the 17th century Elzevir publications. [Schweiger II, p.632; Brunet IV, 273; Graesse V, p.71; Cohen-De Ricci, 774; Lewine, 397].

London: Longman. Brown, Green, & Longmans, 1847. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 2 volumes. Vol. I. pp. viii, xxxviii, [2], 391, [1]. Vol. II. pp. [4], vii, [1], xxii, [2], 447, [1]. Frontispiece in each volume. Wood engravings by F.W. Fairholt. Green cloth with gilt front cover image of Medieval knights. Some shelf wear and rubbing. Hinges and corner tips carefully repaired. Inner joints strengthened. Name and date (1858) written in an old hand on front fly leaf of each volume. Some foxing to frontispieces and title pages. Occasional mild marginal soiling on several pages. Otherwise a generally clean copy. An excellent source book of Robin Hood lore. Volume I contains J.M. Gutch's biography of Robin Hood; a printing of the Middle English ballad "The Lytell Geste of Robin Hode" accompanied by a modern English version; W. Hone's "Dissertation upon the Morris Dance and Maid Marian", taken from his "Year Book"; Francis Douce's "A… Read More

Glasgow: Robert Foulis, 1748. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 8vo in 4’s. pp. [8], 362. Copper engraved vignette (medallion portrait) on title page as well as on p. 72 [Ii verso] and on p. 304 [Pp verso]. Bound in 19th century straight grain green morocco. The gilt crest and initials of Rev. Theodore Williams are stamped in gilt on the front cover. His coat of arms is also stamped in gilt on the rear cover. All edges are gilt. A penciled note on the inside end-leaf attributes the binding to J. Clark. Armorial bookplate of William Proby K.P. 5th Earl of Carysfort (1836-1909) by artist Charles W. Sherborn on inside front cover – " Earl of Carysfort Elton Hall 1894." Color along hinges neatly touched up; some discoloration on the boards near the spine. Interior is generally clean with minor spots of foxing; some extremely faint damp staining is present on lower inner margins. Printed on good quality paper. James Geddes (1710-1749) Scottish lawyer / advocate who also… Read More

Padua: Pauli Frambotti, 1651. Limp Vellum. See Description. Second Edition. 4to. pp. [18], 522, [24]. With extra engraved title page and a portrait of the author. Also includes 24 engraved plates by Giovanni Georgi - most of which are a full page. Lacks blank free end papers. Interior generally clean with mild scattered marginal foxing. Manufacturing tear on leaf Pp sealed and practically invisible. Some small binder's tears in the gutter of signature G are also carefully sealed. Bottom corner tip of the title page restored (10 x 14 mm). Original full vellum binding (rubbed, usual age-toning) with later gilt title on spine. Upper hinges near the head cap strengthened. Marco Auelio Severino (1580-1656) was a distinguished Italian anatomist and surgeon. In 1610 he was made Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at Naples. His work "Vipera pythia" discusses poisonous snakes, snake anatomy, snake venom, and the medicinal properties and virtues of snakes. Much information is given concerning the… Read More

Amsterdam: Gerardus Brostius, 1696. Second Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to pp. [16], 492. Includes extra engraved title page. Library stamp on main title accompanied by a second perforated library stamp near the printer's device. The outer edges to the first few prelims are slightly worn. Pages are generally clean with occasional mild marginal spotting. A small piece is missing from bottom margin of the final leaf. Page 492 is a bit soiled. Bound in brown library buckram; title and shelf number in gilt on the spine; pocket on inside front cover. Hermann Witsius (1636-1708) was a Dutch theologian and a professor of divinity at Franeker (1675), Utrecht (1680), and Leiden (1698). [EB11]. His Aegyptiaca (first printed in 1683) compares the religious rites of the Jews and the Egyptians. He argues against the theory put forth by Sir John Marsham and by John Spencer that Jewish traditions were derived from Egyptian practices. This second edition has been expanded from the first.… Read More

London: G.G. Harrap & Co., 1911. First Edition. . Limp Leather. See Description. Willy Pogany. First regular edition. 4to. 223 unnumbered pages printed on stiff gray paper with numerous illustrations in black and red. Includes 16 tipped in color plates. The colophon states: "The letterpress and fine illustrations lithographed by Vincent Brooks, Day and Sons Ltd. London, the four-colour plates printed by Henry Stone and Son Ltd. Banbury. A.D. MCMXI." Pages are clean Bound in limp gray suede binding with gilt illustration on front cover - in a superb state of preservation. Illustrations by Willy Pogany.

Ex officina Weidmanniana, 1739. Hardcover. See Description. 12mo. pp. [10] 348 [12]. Title printed in red and black. Crudely illustrated frontispiece. Annotated by Johann Minellii. This edition of Sallustius was probably meant for Latin students. The entire book is inter-leaved with blanks, presumably for note taking. Several blanks contain notes in a miniscule old hand. Bound in full vellum (darkened spine). [Schweiger II, p.881].

Leipzig: J.A. Barthii, 1839. Hardcover. See Description. Fourth H.A. Schott edition. 8vo. pp. XXVIII, 859, [1]. Dual Greek and Latin text. Quarter leather binding - re-backed preserving original spine (crackled but still attractive). All edges dyed red. Library withdrawn sticker on inside front cover. Heinrich Augustus Schott (1780-1835) - theological teacher at Leipzig and later a professor at Jena. [This edition not in Darlow].

New York: Fowlers and Wells, 1851. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. 4to or small folio size. Volumes XIII-XIV. And Volume XV, No. I. (The complete year of 1851 plus one extra issue - January 1852). Volume XIII (Jan. - Jun.) pp. iv, 144. Volume XIV (Jul. - Dec.) pp. 140. Volume XV, No. I, pp. 24.With many wood engraved illustrations. Bound in quarter sheep with marbled boards. Spine and covers are well rubbed and worn. Outer hinges and head caps are professionally restored; board corner tips are neatly repaired. Interior is foxed. Owner's name is written in an old hand in the margins of several pages. Upper marginal corners are chipped on pp. 41-44 (Vol. XIV, No. II). The journal describes itself as "devoted to phrenology, physiology, magnetism, education, mechanism, agriculture, and to all those progressive measures which are calculated to reform, elevate, and improve mankind." Contains columns on a variety of subjects - human and animal phrenology, book reviews, mechanics… Read More

Lugduni: Sebastianum Gryphium, 1552. Limp Vellum. See Description. Folio. pp. [36], Cols. 1-1218, pp. [3]. With printer's device on title page. The colophon (verso of final leaf) reads "Sebastianus Gryphius excudebat Lugduni, anno M.D.LII." and contains a large woodcut griffin device. Dual column text with fine decorative initials. Several diagrams are included with the text illustrating… Bound in full period vellum (rubbed). Title and shelf number are written on the spine in an early hand. An old ownership or institutional stamp is present on the title page, the second leaf, leaf T5, and also on the colophon page. Interior pages contain mild to moderate age-toning and periodic scattered foxing and spotting. Some pages are more uniformly toned. Raffaelo Maffei (1451-1522) was an Italian humanist, historian and theologian. His "Commentariorum urbanorum" (first published in 1506) is an encyclopedia of all subjects known at the time. The work is particularly notable for the importance given to… Read More

Antverpiae: Ex officina Plantiniana apud viduam, & Ioannem Moretum, 1595. Hardcover. See Description. Second edition, corrected. Small 8vo. pp. 137, [7]. With 22 engravings accompanying the text. Title page contains the Plantin device. Bound in a fine unsigned modern full calf binding with blind stamped and gilt boards and an extra-gilt spine. Interior pages are clean and fresh with an occasional spot. Edges are trimmed a bit closely on some leaves. A very attractive copy. The engravings, which mostly depict different forms of crucifixion, are ascribed to the Dutch engraver Peter van der Borcht. Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) was a Belgian antiquarian who specialized in the study of ancient and classical history. His work "De cruce libri tres" (first printed in 1583) is an important scholarly study on crucifixion in antiquity. [Bibliographie Lipsienne I, pp. 189-190; Adams L-778].

Freistadt [Amsterdam]: Johann Aconius [Henricus Wetstein], 1685. First Edition. . Hardcover. See Description. First Edition. Small 8vo. pp. [16], 304. This copy lacks the 2 leaf "Addenda & Emendata (apparently common according to the pagination recorded for many copies). S. Lubieniczki (1623-1675) was a Polish Socinian/Unitarian pastor and scholar. His "Historia" is an account of the Polish Reformation, especially the Polish Socinians or Minor Reformed Church (Polish Brethren) from it’s origins in the 16th century up till the expulsion of the Brethren from Rakow (1638). Material is also included about events in outlying areas such as Prussia, Lithuania, Transylvania and the Ukraine. Lubieniczki died leaving his work incomplete. The last two chapters are written by a different author. In a review of the 1995 English translation Paul W. Knoll says that this work is "a comprehensive treatment of an extraordinarily complex movement. It is unique in Polish historiography and… Read More