2 Vols The Botanic Garden: A Poem, in Two Parts

A particularly desirable pairing of the first editions of Erasmus Darwin"s complete Botanic Garden, transforming botanical science into verse, illustrated with engravings by William Blake after Fuseli. In a contemporary half calf binding with marbled paper boards, later rebacked and recornered, with spine labels. First editions of both parts: The Loves of the Plants, although designated Part II, was published first, in 1789; The Economy of Vegetation followed in 1791, completing The Botanic Garden. The second volume is slightly taller than the first. Part II is seldom encountered in its first edition, making its presence here particularly desirable. A fantastic poetic rendering of contemporary botany and science, in which Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), physician, naturalist, inventor and grandfather of Charles Darwin. In The Economy of Vegetation, Darwin celebrates natural philosophy, invention and technological progress; in The Loves of the Plants, he popularises the Linnaean sexual system of botanical classification through the romances of personified flowers, stamens and pistils. The verse is accompanied throughout by extensive philosophical and scientific notes. Volume I is illustrated with an engraved frontispiece engraved by Anker Smith after Henry Fuseli, and nine further plates, one of which is folding. This copy includes William Blake"s engraving "The Fertilization of Egypt," after a design by Henry Fuseli, depicting Anubis and the Nile; the British Museum identifies the plate as Blake"s work. The four Portland Vase engravings are also by Blake, produced for The Economy of Vegetation. The four Portland Vase plates are bound at variance with the directions to the binder at the rear: "The Whole Vase" facing p. 53, "The First Compartment" facing p. 54, "The Second Compartment" facing p. 55, and "The Handles" facing p. 58, rather than all four facing p. 88 as called for. Volume II is illustrated with aesigned by Emma Crewe and engraved by Samuel Alken, seven further engraved plates and a vignette. The directions to the binder and errata leaf at the end of volume II have been neatly cut down and pasted to the foot of page 184. The first part also includes Darwin"s abolitionist passage inspired by Josiah Wedgwood"s celebrated medallion of the kneeling, chained slave, invoking the appeal: "Are we not Brethren?" Collated, complete. Volume I ESTC No.: T82160 Volume II: ESTC No.: T82159 [4] b2 B4-2E4 A4-S4; [7] B4-Z4 2A2-2B2 In a contemporary half calf binding with marbled paper boards, later rebacked and recornered, with spine labels. Externally, a little worn. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities. Rubbing to boards resulting slight surface loss to paper. Worcester Library bookplate to front pastedowns with contemporary ink annotations, marked "Fourteen Days," to the first volume. Hinges reinforced. Slight ink offsetting to front free endpaper of volume II. Slight discolouration from binder's glue and light scattered spotting to endpapers. Small ink mark to fore edge of front free endpaper of volume I. Internally, firmly bound. Pages characteristically age toned with light scattered spotting, heavier to fore edge, margins of plates, and first and last few leaves, more pronounced to volume I, notably to the frontispiece and pp. 184-202. Discreet archival repairs to the margins of the plates and first leaves of volume I; slight cropping to the margins of the Portland Vase plates. Small closed tear to lower margins of plates facing pp. 58 and 54 in the additional notes of volume I. Slight cockling to fore edge. Minor edge wear resulting in one or two very small closed tears and chips. Directions to the binder and errata leaf to end of volume II, laid down to the foot of pp. 184. Very Good.…