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Green printed wrappers, 4to, 25 cm, 40 pp, 15 plates (some double). 218 lots. The catalogue was at pains to emphasise that "Many of these books have been in the possession of the family since they were purchased by James Sotheby towards the end of the XVIIth century."From an article in Country Life ahead of the sale: "The present selection is remarkable for the many rare printed books and the magnificent illuminated manuscripts. Of the latter there are fine examples of the English school, notably the " Life of Alexander the Great," thirteenth century, from Lord Burleigh s collection ; Gower s " Vox Clamantis," with an illumination of the author shooting an arrow at the world, fourteenth century, from the same collection ; Langland s " Piers Plowman," of the same date, decorated with ivy sprays ; and Boccaccio s " Fall of Princes," with thirty-six large miniatures and numerous illuminations of the fifteenth century. There are a magnificent Latin Bible with eighty-one large and exquisitely painted miniatures ard lower margins showing monkeys playing, fishing, preaching to other monkeys, quaint grotesques, and hunting scenes, Northern French of the early fourteenth century, and a beautiful miniature of St. Anne, St. Mary Jacobe, St. Mary Salome and St. Helen, of the Franco-Flemish school, about 1500. In it there is a wonderful topiary tree springing from a basket on a lawn, where there are three rabbits and a toad, threatened by a dog. A Persian illuminated work has been in the family since 1689. It is difficult to single out examples of the many rare books in this old collection. There are, however, Walter Bigges' "A summarie and trve discovrse of Sir Frances Drakes West Indian voyage," with four large maps, 1589; two extremely rare Caxtons- "Chronicles of England, 1480," bound with " Description of Britain, 1480" - of the first, all but two of the perfect copies, as far as is known, are in public libraries ; of the second, all but one ; the apparently unrecorded "Charles V. and Henry VIII."; Daniel s " The First Part of the Historic of England," 1612 ; Queen Elizabeth," The Royal Passage of her Majesty from the Tower of London, to her Palace of Whitehall"; the Bishop ot Rochester s " Margarete Countesse of Rychemonde and Darbye," printed by Wynkyn d Worde ; " A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia," by Thoma Hariot, 1590; Francois Lambert s " Th Summe of Christianitie," 1536 ; Sir George Peckham s A True Reporte of the late Discoveries," etc., with preliminary verses by Sir Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Marti: Frobisher and others, being the first book on Newfoundland and only seven copies known, three being in public libraries; " True History of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, A Minister's Wife in New England," by Mary Rowlandson, 1682; Captain Smith s "An Accidence on the Pathway to Experience " ; and " New Englands Prospect," by William Wood, 1639." The two Caxtons went to Rosenbach, for GBP 3,100. Wrappers browned and torn at head of spine, small residue of removed paper label on front wrapper, 'Maggs Bros' blindstamp on first textpage, 3 lots with faintly pencilled prices and notes, otherwise Good. Seller Inventory # ABE-60762
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