Blackmore, Richard: Prince Arthur. An Heroick Poem. In ten books; [bound with] King Arthur. An heroick poem in twelve books. London: Printed for Awnsham and John Churchil; [ditto] and Jacob Tonson, 1696; 1697. Third edition; first edition. 2 works bound as 1. Folio, pp. [xx], 296, [iv]; [ii], xvii, [i], 343, [ix]. Publisher's catalogue at end of Preface (i.e. p.xx), index at the end of each work. Intermittent damp-staining toward gutter especially to the second work, occasional light foxing, a few faint smudgy marks. Contemporary brown calf, raised bands with recent red Morocco gilt spine label added, blind-tooled borders and frames to boards, edges faintly sprinkled red, endpapers renewed. Spine repaired at head and tail, joints split but cords holding firm, scuffs and scrapes, edges worn, corners frayed, still a good, sound copy. To the title-page, inscriptions of Ed. Southcott and Charles (D?) Sharpe both in old hands. Third edition of Prince Arthur, Richard Blackmore's celebration of William III in the form of an epic based on The Aeneid and using historical material from Geoffrey of Monmouth. (The first edition appeared in 1695 and the second in the same year with an added index). It is found here bound with King Arthur in its first edition of 1697. Two variants exist, this copy having "near the Inner-Temple-gate" in the imprint. Physician and epic poetry enthusiast Blackmore (1654-1729) is now primarily remembered as an object of satire. In 1700 he was accused by John Dryden of being not only a plagiarist but also a poet whose work read to the rhythm of wagon wheels because it had been written in the back of hackney cabs on journeys between patients (The Pilgrim, prologue). Having used Virgil as his model for Prince Arthur and Milton for King Arthur, Blackmore was less successful in his emulation of other poets in subsequent works. He became the target of particular scorn from Pope in The Dunciad (1728), which immortalised him as 'Neverending Blackmore', a poet so boring he could send even lawyers to sleep. ESTC R23258; Wing B 3082. Ref: 54534show full image..
Blyton, Enid; Soper, Eileen (illus.): Five Go to Billycock Hill. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1957. First edition, first printing. Original red cloth lettered in black. Contents and binding clean and bright., Dust-jacket, also bright, a little nicked and rubbed to extremities with a few pieces of tape to the underside of the spine head and tail. Not price-clipped. A very good copy. The sixteenth adventure of the Famous Five. Ref: 54961
Boothroyd, A. E.: Fascinating Walking Sticks. Bracknell, Berks.: Salix Books, 1970. First edition. 8vo., pp. 206. Brown cloth, gilt title to spine. Boards and contents clean, slight shelf-wear to edges, very good. Dust-jacket sun-faded to spine and portion of upper cover, a little worn and creased to edges otherwise very good. With photographs by Edward Morgan. "Over 280 different sticks illustrated including gun and swordsticks (and) foreword by Sir Gerald Nabarro, M.P." Ref: 53004
Clinton, Hillary Rodham; Penny, Louise State of Terror. London: Macmillan, 2021. First UK edition, first printing. Signed by the author. 8vo., pp.[x], 494, [ii]. Red cloth, black title to spine. Corners very slightly bumped, very good indeed. Dust jacket a little creased at corners, slight crease to rear, very good indeed. To half-title: 'For Hilary - Best wishes! Hillary Rodham Clinton'. A political-mystery novel by former United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Canadian mystery novelist Louise Penny. The novel relates to Penny's Inspector Gamache series, the titular character of which appears here in a minor role. Ref: 54833show full image..
Cohen, Morton N: Lewis Carroll: A Biography. London: Macmillan, 2015. First UK edition. 8vo., pp. xxiii, 577 + plates. Illustrations. Hardback: black cloth, gilt-lettered to spine. Dust-jacket. Light shelf-wear, very good. Ref: 54265
Condren, Conal & Cousins, A. D. (eds.): The Political Identity of Andrew Marvell. Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1990. First edition. 8vo., pp. ix, 221. Hardback: black cloth, silver-lettered, fine. Dust-jacket, light shelf-wear only, very good. Includes an essay by William Lamont, and from his library although with no evidence of ownership. Ref: 53736
Corneille, Pierre & Thomas: Les Chef-d''Oeuvres Dramatiques de Messieurs Corneille. Avec Le Jugement des Scavans a la fin de chaque Piece Amsterdam: aux D?pens de la Compagnie, 1773. 12mo. 4 vols., pp.viii, 384 + 6 plates; [iv], 314 + 5 plates; [iv], 272 + 3 plates; [iv], 352 + 3 plates. Engraved portrait frontispieces to vols. I and II, woodcut head and tail pieces and initials, a few leaves of vol. IV unopened, '990' in blue pencil at foot of final page vols. I and IV. Occasional light spots and stains, a little damp-staining to vols. II and IV, vol. I with lower corner of leaf F2 torn but not affecting text. Later mottled calf, spines heavily gilt, edges red, marbled endpapers. Edges a little rubbed but very good. To each front paste-down the red-printed book label of the translator Niccolai Gamba-Castelli, with MS shelfmark. Vol. I - Trag?dies de P. Corneille: Le Cid; Horace; Cinna; Polieucte; L Mort de la Pomp?e. Vol. II - Trag?dies de P. Corneille: Rodogune; Heraclius; Othon. Vol. III - Trag?die de T. Corneille: Le Comte D'Essex. Com?die de P. Corneille: Le Menteur. Com?die de T. Corneille: Le Baron D'Albikrac. Vol. IV - Com?dies de T. Corneille: Le Festin de Pierre; La Comtesse D'Orgueil (Nouveau Prologue); L'Inconnu (Nouveau Divertissement). Ref: 54145show full image..
Coupe, Robert L.M.: Illustrated Editions of the Works of William Morris in English. A Descriptive Biography. Delaware & London: Oak Knoll Press / The British Library, 2002. 4to. Blue cloth, pictorial dust-jacket. New, still in publisher's shrink-wrap. Ref: 55074
Dahl, Roald: (Blake, Quentin, illust.:) The Witches. London: Jonathan Cape, 1983. First edition. 8vo., pp.208. Turquoise cloth, gilt title to spine, very mildly cocked but near fine. Dust jacket price-clipped, top edge with a few very slight creased and a tear of approx. 3mm, very good indeed. First edition of Dahl's 12th novel for children. Ref: 54965show full image..
De B?ze, Th?odore; Muret, Marc-Antoine; Secundus, Joannes: Poemata; Juvenilia; Juvenilia. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden] [i.e. Paris]: s.n. [Barbou] 1757. Small 8vo. (155 x 90mm), pp. [ii], iv, 124 + portrait frontispiece; x, 11-106 + portrait frontispiece; iv, [i], 4-156. No loss to the 3rd work, just unusual pagination, and no portrait called for. Woodcut printer's device (formerly used by the Elzevirs) to each title-page. Occasional very light foxing. Contemporary brown mottled calf, spine gilt with dark red morocco label, gilt borders and dentelles, a.e.g., marbled endpapers, pink ribbon bookmark bound in. Spine a little creased, very light wear to endcaps and corners, a very good, attractive copy. Three highlights of 16th-century Neo-Latin poetry, bound together as usual. All three title-pages bear a false imprint, 'Lugduni Batavorum'; according to Brunet this edition was actually published in Paris by Barbou, and it does indeed have the appearance of a Barbou book. The first work comprises the poems of the Calvinist theologian Th?odore de B?ze (or Theodorus Beza, 1519-1605,) originally published in Paris in 1548. He is most known for his editions of the New Testament: a Latin translation and a Greek critical edition. The Juvenilia of Marc-Antoine Muret (or Marcus Antonius Muretus, 1526-1585) was first published in 1552. A Classical scholar, as well as writing poetry he lectured in schools in France and Italy and was involved with the rediscovery and interpretation of ancient texts. The final work is that of Janus Secundus Nicolai Hagiensis (1511-1536). The first publication of his works was posthumous, Secundus having died very young, and appeared in Utrecht in 1541. It was edited by his brother Marius. Secundus is primarily remembered for his love poems, often known as the 'kissing poet' for his variations on two kiss poems by Catullus. Brunet I, 239 Ref: 52284show full image..
