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Recent Acquisitions Large 4to (270 x 210 mm.), pp. [34], 417, [1] blank, [2] instructions to binder; 42 large folding plates. Uncut. Occasional light soiling and foxing, generally confined to margins, but the plates in excellent condition. Contemporary marbled boards and paper spine with light repair, joints cracked at foot but firmly holding. First edition of this classic account of Anson’s four-year voyage, a military manoeuvre turned epic endurance test. Anson set off on 18 Sept. 1740, charged with attacking Spanish possessions on the Pacific coast of South America. His fleet was severely battered rounding Cape Horn, and many of the crew subsequently succumbed to scurvy: by 1743 only one of the initial eight ships survived. On June 22 of that year, however, Anson snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by capturing a Spanish galleon, loaded with silver and pieces of eight. The price, however, was heavy. Anson had set out with over 1500 men; he returned to England with 145. The tale captured the popular imagination. Walter wrote that thanks to Anson’s perseverance ‘the British navy has resumed its ancient Spirit and Lustre’ and the book-buying public evidently agreed. Four editions appeared in London in the year of first publication (and many later ones followed). The second and subsequent editions were in a smaller octavo format, however, and had only three plates (the remainder being sold separately). J. Sabin, A Dictionary of Books relating to America from its Discovery to the Present Time, 2 vols, I 1626. Price: £4,750 Catalogue Number: 95038 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------[ALMON, John]. 12mo (160 x 100 mm.), pp. 158. Slight soiling and browning on some leaves, confined to margins, but otherwise a crisp copy, internally very good. Half-calf and marbled boards, red morocco lettering-piece to spine with letters in gilt, volume number to spine in gilt; rubbed, bumped and rather soiled, first free endpaper partially detached. Bookplate of Henry M. Seymour Library, presented by Kenneth C. Knight, and library stamp to title-page. First edition of this collection of satirical verse, compiled by the controversial bookseller and political journalist John Alman (1737-1805). The majority of these verses are anonymous, and for good reason, since they are keenly aimed at many prominent political figures in Lord North’s goverment, such as George Germaine and the Earl of Sandwich. Almon was several times prosecuted for libel and towards the end of his life was briefly exiled and imprisoned. Also included here is an early example of ‘the mode of cross-reading the papers’: ‘Yesterday his Majesty went to the House of Peers and – Discovered a gang of thieves who had long infested that place’. A second volume followed in 1779. Price: £350 Catalogue Number: 95120 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------OCKLEY, Simon. 12mo (155 x 90 mm.), pp. [xxiv], 286, [2] advertisements. All gatherings with the exception of A and C uniformly browned, title-page browned and slightly soiled, otherwise a crisp copy. Contemporary calf, upper and lower sides blind-tooled, expertly rebacked and restored, rubbed, edges speckled red. First edition of one of the earliest and scarcest publications by the noted English scholar of oriental languages Simon Ockley (1679-1720). Most of the volume comprises a translation of the Historia de’ riti hebraici, vita ed osservanze de gl’Hebrei di questi tempi, a brief account of the living conditions, customs, language, laws and beliefs of the Jews by Leone Modena (1571-1648). Modena was a Venetian Rabbi with close links to many European scholars; he composed the work, one of the first such to be written in the vernacular, at the request of an English lord for presentation to James I. It circulated in manuscript between 1615 and its publication in 1637. Subsequently, a French translation was made by the great French scholar of religion, Richard Simon (1638-1712). Simon was impressed by Modena’s clear and concise style; he added two short appendixes, on the Caraites and the Samaritans, which Ockley also translated and included in the present volume. A second edition followed in 1711. Latterly, Ockley was cited as an influence by Edward Gibbon, who credited him with first opening his eyes to oriental history. Price: £1,250 Catalogue Number: 94200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------An Historicall Narration Of The Iudgement Of some most Learned and Godly English Bishops, Holy Martyrs, and Others: (Whereof III; viz. Archbishop Cranmer, B. Latimer, and Bishop Hooper, Suffred Martyrdome, in the Dayes of Q. Mary, for the Truth and Gospell of Christ Iesus) Concerning Gods Election, and the Merit of Christ his Death, &c. Small 4to (165 x 123 mm.), pp. [viii], 108, headpieces and initials; trimmed with some loss to text in outer margins. One phrase crossed out (p.13) in accordance with the list of errata. Later quarter-calf and marbled boards, spine with raised bands outlined in gilt, edges speckled red; bumped. First edition of this controversial tract illustrating religious disagreements at the time of the English Civil Wars. The anonymous author offers a detailed critique of the doctrine of predestination while defending himself from charges of Pelagianism. This defence was unsuccessful, however, and the work was suppressed by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, because (in the words of the contemporary collector and book-seller George Thomason) it ‘contained divers dangerous opinions’. Abbott died in 1633 and the work was eventually reprinted in 1644-5. Scarce. Wing A804 (second edition only). Halkett and Laing, A Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous Publications in the English Language, Third (Revised and Enlarged) Edition, 1475-1640, ed. J. Horden, Harlow and London 1980, H126. Price: £300 Catalogue Number: 95045 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------RIDLEY, Marke. Small 4to (180 x 140 mm.), pp. [x], 157 (three pages misnumbered), [1] imprint, plus engraved title-page (prelims start A3 as called for, a4 missing); decorated headpieces and initials, 22 illustrations (one with volvelle) and 2 tables. Frontispiece slightly soiled and rubbed with discrete pen annotation recto and verso; old repair to a1, occasional soiling throughout, largely confined to margins. Black quarter morocco, morocco tips and marbled boards, spine with lettering in gilt; slightly rubbed and bumped. A very good copy. First edition, with the cancel at X3 containing a list of errata. Ridley (1560-1624) describes himself on the title-page as ‘doctor in phisicke and philosophie, latly physition to the Emperour of Russia’. His work on magnetism represented an early sequel to William Gilbert’s classic De magnete (1600). ‘Ridley gives directions for carrying out experiments on the loadstone, magnet, and terrella. He includes numerous engravings and descriptions of his improved instruments for determining the declination of the magnetic needle and for making use of the inclinatory needle for finding position at sea’ (ODNB). His chapter ‘Of the variation of the Compasse from the true Meridian’ is illustrated with two maps, one from the perspective of each pole (p.97); the southern hemisphere is marked with Africa, Brasil and ‘terra australis’, the northern with China, Russia and Virginia, among others. Bibliographical History of Electricity and Magnetism, ed. P. F. Mottelay, London 1922, p.97 Price: £3,000 Catalogue Number: 95041 A selection of items from our new catalogue 
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