(Phaedrus:) 'Aesop': (Desbillons, Francois-Joseph, ed.:) Fabulae Aesopae, curis posterioribus omnes fere emendatae: quibus accesserunt plus quam clxx novae [...]. Parisiis [Paris]: typis J. Barbou, via Mathurinensium, 1778. Sixth edition. 12mo., pp. xxxvi, 504 + engraved frontispiece. Printer's device to title-page, woodcut ornaments, very wide lower margins, very clean. Later dark green straight-grain morocco, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Spine and corners a bit rubbed but still very good indeed. Printed label 'From the collection of Charles Butler of Warren Wood, Hatfield' to front paste-down. Two invoices from Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodges dated May 29th and 30th 1911, one made out to W. Cairns and one to W. Strong, both from the sale of Captain Butler's library. Elegantly bound Latin edition of Aesop's "Fables" by the Jesuit poet Fran?ois-Joseph Desbillons (1711-89), author of several other collections of ancient and modern fables. Ref: 54210show full image..
Philostratus, Lucius Flavius: (Blount, Charles, trans.:) The two first books of Philostratus concerning the life of Apollonius Tyaneus: written originally in Greek, and now published in English: together with philological notes upon each chapter. London: printed for Nathaniel Thompson, 1680. First edition of this translation. Small folio, pp. [viii] 243 [i]. Title in red and black, woodcut initials, tree of the intellectual genealogy of philosophers on p. 145. Small hole to the centre of leaves Z3- Z4 affecting a few words, some tiny spots and scorch marks, occasional light toning. Contemporary speckled calf boards neatly rebacked with older label preserved, corners repaired, endpapers replaced, very good. First edition of the first English translation of Philostratus, by Charles Blount (1654-1693), an important associate and admirer of Thomas Hobbes. Blount, a deist or religious freethinker, added detailed notes to his rendering of this 3rd century AD work of pagan hagiography, which attack witchcraft (a code for the established church), and suggest that the teachings of the pagan philosopher Apollonius were more valuable than Christ's. The notes reveal the influence of Thomas Hobbes and were thought by the encyclopaedist Pierre Bayle to have been based on nunpublished notes by England's first metaphysical philosopher, and original deist, Baron Herbert of Cherbury (1654-1709). The book was subsequently banned in England and only reprinted on the continent. ESTC R4123; Wing P 2132. Ref: 54327show full image..
Pindar: Ta Tou Pindarou Sesosmena. Olympia, Pythia, Nemea, Isthmia. Ex editione Oxoniensi. Glasguae [Glasgow]: excudebant R. & A. Foulis, 1754, 1754, 1757, 1758. 4 vols. 32mo. (75 x 47mm), pp. [ii], 158; 186, [iv]; 128; 79, [I] + the rest of the text block made up with a roughly equal number of binder's blank leaves. Title-page to each volume, additional series title to volume I. Vol. I without its final blank, vol. II with both final blanks. First words of title transliterated from Greek. Occasional spotting and light toning, a few faint stains, very good. Early c.20th dark blue crushed Morocco, gilt titles to spines, top edges gilt, ornate gilt dentelles. Spines a little sunned, lightly rubbed, very good indeed. First words of title transliterated from Greek. Though he doesn't comment directly on this edition, Dibdin notes Harwood's observation on the first Foulis edition of 1744, that he has 'read this edition twice through and affirm it to be one of the most accurate of the Glasgow editions of the Greek classics.' He also notes that the later edition of 1770 is less accurate, according to Harles. ESTC T134377; Gaskell 274; Dibdin II. 4th Edn. 290; Bondy 23-4; Mikrobiblion 192; Spielmann 413-5. Ref: 54285show full image..
Pindar: (Cookesley, William Gifford, ed.:) Carmina Etonae [Eton]: E.P. Williams, 1851; 1853. Second edition. 2 parts bound as 1, 8vo., pp. [vi], 218, [ii], xiii, [i], 265, [i]. Text in Greek, notes in English, useful preface to the second edition, some engraved illustrations in the text. A little light spotting but very good. Publisher's dark blue cloth, printed paper title label to spine. Rubbed, label toned and chipped, some scuffs, end caps and corners worn, endpapers a little foxed and spilt at hinges but boards holding firm, still very good overall. Ownership inscription of J.S. Lewis to ffep. To title-page a small ink stamp seemingly in the shape of a bishop's mitre. Published at Eton and dedicated to Edward Craven Hawtrey (1789 - 1862), master. Contains Pars 1. Odas Olympicas and Pars 2. Odas Pythias, with no more published in this edition. Ref: 54772show full image..
Plautus, Titus Maccius: (Gronovius, J.F., ed.:) Comoediae. Accedit commentarius [...] Lugd. Batavorum [Leiden]: Ex Officina Hackiana, 1669. First Edition. 2 vols. bound as 1. 8vo., pp. [xxiv], 624, [ii], 625-1220, [lii]. Engraved title-page to vol.I, title-page with printer's device to vol.II. Woodcut head- and tail-pieces and initials. Some small annotations in an old hand to ffep (one dated 1729), occasional other pages (eg. p.528) and 2 small pages of notepaper loosely inserted. Very occasional light spotting towards fore-edge, a few tiny ink spots. Contemporary vellum, title inked to spine, fore-edges slightly overlapped, edges sprinkled red. Vertical split to vellum at spine neatly repaired, some marks and smudges, turn-in lifting at upper board, first few leaves a bit creased at fore-edge, very good. Ownership inscription of E. (Bersem?) in an old hand to title-page. The penultimate in a run of Gronovius' variorum edition of Plautus (the first in 1664, the final and optimal in 1684), with notes by him and others, and new readings from 6 MSS. Dibdin (4th edn.) II 312. Schweiger III 766. Graesse V 329. Ref: 54398show full image..
[Plautus] Plautus, Titus Maccius: (Pareus, Philippus, ed.:) Comoediae XX superstites et deperditarum fragmenta. Francof. [Frankfurt]: Philip Jacob Fisher, 1641. 8vo. 3 parts in 1, pp. [224], 826, [2], 31, [1], 85, [1], with engraved title. Title in red and black with engraved vignette, woodcut vignette to verso of last. Title dusty, some scattered foxing or dampstaining, small paper flaw and minor clean tear to outer blank margin of two leaves. Contemporary vellum over boards, yapp edges. 'The last edition of [Johannes Philippus] Par? in which were corrected several criticised passages of the previous editions' (Graesse V, 328-29). In addition to Plautus's twenty comedies, it features numerous fragments, 'Querolus' and 'Animadversionum ablegmina'. Graesse V, 328-29. Not in Dibdin. Ref: 53281show full image..
[Pliny the Elder:] Plinius Secundus, Gaius: (De Laet, J., ed.:) Historiae Naturalis Libri XXXVII. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: ex officina Elzeviriana, 1635. First edition thus. 3 vols., 12mo, pp. [xxiv], 654, [xviii]; 631, [xvii]; 582, [xviii]. Engraved titlepage, small woodcut portrait of Pliny. With 'variae lectiones' and indexes at end of each vol. Slight toning, occasional minor spots, titles dusty, 1: one lower outer blank corner minimally torn, 2: small loss to lower blank margin of one leaf. Full blue morocco c.1800, signed by C. Hering (binder's ticket), blind-tooled, straight-grained calf doublures with gilt edges, raised bands, spines gilt-lettered, a.e.g. (boards and joints rubbed, free endpapers soiled). Later annotation to original rear endpaper. The first Elzevier edition of Pliny's 'Natural History', which became extremely popular with later collectors. De Laet was a Leiden historian and editor who wrote or produced a number of texts for the Elzevir press. In the dedication, to the lawyer and French royal counsellor Jerome Bignon (1589-1656), he states that he drew on the edition of Claude Saumaise. Willems 428; Dibdin (3rd edn.) II, 323. Ref: 53181show full image..
Pollux, Julius: (Lederlin, J.H.; Hemsterhuys, T.): Onomasticon Graece & Latine. Amstelaedami [Amsterdam]: Ex Officina Wetsteniana, 1706. 2 vols. in 1. Folio, pp. [viii], 48, 683, [I]; [ii], 687-1388, [xvi], 178, [x] + additional engraved title-page, signed: I. Mulder, delin; W. Broen, sculp., and folding numismatic plate opposite p.1027. Engraved frontispiece (included in register): arms of Amsterdam and view of Amsterdam, 10 shields, signed: Mulder, fec.. Half-title to each vol., title-page vol. I in red and black, woodcut initals. Text in Latin and Greek in parallel columns. Occasional very light spotting, final 7 leaves dampstained at fore-edge margin, very good. Contemporary gilt panelled vellum, central gilt coat of arms of Haarlem to both boards. Some light smudgy marks, ties lost, very good. An interesting and important edition of the 2nd-century AD Greek thesaurus of Iulius Pollux, which had been begun and abandoned by Jean-Henri Lederlin (1672-1737). His replacement as editor, Tiberius Hemsterhuys (1685-1766), professor at Amsterdam, has "the honour of reviving the study of Greek in the Netherlands" (Sandys). For this edition he wrote for advice to Richard Bentley, the expert on Greek metre, but received his suggestions after the book went to press. Bentley later sent a long letter giving corrections to the texts of the fragments of comedy as found here in book 10. "So deep was [Hemsterhuys's] distress that he determined to abandon Greek for ever, and for two months did not dare to open a Greek book" (ibid.) Pollux is a source of information on many subjects, including theatre, the Athenian constitution, and the thirty-three terms of abuse for a tax-collector. The text survived only in interpolated copies of an early interpolated epitome. Schweiger I 270 "Gute Ausg."; Sandys II 449; Spoelder 1. Ref: 54329show full image..
Pomey, F.: (Pitiscus, S.:) Pantheum mythicum, seu fabulosa deorum historia [...] Amstelodami [Amsterdam] & Trajecti ad Rhenum [Utrecht]: Schouten & J.J.A. Poolsum, 1777. 10th ed. thus. Small 8vo., pp. [xvi],298, [xiv] + 27 plates, and engraved frontispiece. Title in red and black, woodcut initials and headpieces. Inkstamp and ms code to title-page, but internally very clean. Contemporary speckled calf, spine gilt with red Morocco label, gilt borders, gilt coat of arms of Arnhem to each board, edges red. Spine and corners lightly rubbed, very good. With presentation certificate with signatures, made out to to G. A. La Borde and dated 1795. Tenth edition of a Jesuit handbook to pagan gods, first published 1658, re-edited by Samuel Pitiscus. Graesse IV 793 (earlier editions). Spoelder 7. Ref: 54308show full image..
Pomponius Mela: (Gronovius, Abraham, ed.:) De Situ Orbis Libri III. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: Ex Officina Samuelis Luchtmans, 1722. First edition thus. 8vo., pp. [lxxx], 811, [xxxvii] + additional engraved title and 1 folding map, further engraved illustrations in text. Title page in red and black, woodcut initials. Inkstamp to title, rear blank has large piece torn away at fore-edge. Internally very clean. Contemporary vellum, spine gilt with inked title, gilt borders, central gilt coat of arms of Gouda to each board, edges sprinkled red. Spine a bit darkened, a few smudgy marks, ties lost. Very good. Round ink stamp reading 'academia rueno traectina' (Utrecht) to title-page. The first of Abraham Gronovius's (1695-1775) editions of Pomponius Mela, "the earliest Roman geographer" (Ency. Brit. 11th edn.), incorporating the work of his father, Jakob Gronovius, who had himself published two editions of the work. "Pomponius is unique among ancient geographers in that [...] he asserts the existence of antichthones, inhabiting the southern temperate zone inaccessible to the folk of the northern temperate regions from the unbearable heat of the intervening torrid belt" (Ency. Brit. 11th edn.). Brunet IV 801 (note). Dibdin II 356. Graesse V 402-3. Schweiger 611; Spoelder 2. Ref: 54309show full image..
