1. Burton, Richard [That was the Pseudonym / Nom de Plume for Nathaniel Crouch].

The Wars in England, Scotland and Ireland – Or, An Impartial Account of all the Battels [sic], Sieges, and other Remarkable Transactions, Revolutions and Accidents, which have happened from the beginning of the Reign of King CHARLES I. in 1625, to his Majesties happy Restauration, 1660. By Richard Burton.

The Fifth Edition very much enlarged. London, Printed for J.R.for Nat. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultry, near Cheapside, 1684. Duodecimo. Frontispice, [2], 231, [3] pages. With four ful-page woodcuts (including Frontispice) showing historical events, beheadings etc. Page 227 misprinted as page 229. LAst three pages are “Delights for the Ingenious – Books printed for N. Crouch”. Original full leather-covered boards. Binding in very poor condition with larger parts of the leather missing. Minor lesions to Frontispice and some papes to front and rear. Extremely rare !

2. [Halifax, 1st Marquess of] George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax.

The Lady’s New-year’s Gift : Or, Advice to a Daughter. Under these following Heads, Viz. Religion, Husband, House and Family. Servants, Behaviour and Conversation, Friendships, Censure, Vanity and Affectation, Pride, Diversions, Dancing.

The Second Edition Corrected by the Original. London, Printed for Matthew Gillyflower in Westminster-Hall and James Partridge at Charing-Cross, 1688. Duodecimo (7 cm wide x 12.5 cm high). [II], 164 pages (collation complete). Hardcover / 18th century full leather with gilt lettering and ornament on spine and boards. Very few pages with minor wormhole-damage only and some pages with some minor tears and fraying. The binding firm and with minor damage only. Some very few entries with ink by the pre-owner. Overall a very good condition with only minor signs of wear of this extremely rare and early edition of one of the rarest publications of advice on prudence and virtue, written by the Marquess of Halifax and published as an address to his daughter Elizabeth Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield (1677 – 1708). Later editions are more common but this 17th century publication is the nicest version of this book we have ever handled.

3. Heraldic Illustration of the 18th century – Guillim, John / [ Edward Le Davis ] / [ Michael van der Gucht].

A Display of Heraldry. By John Guillim, pursuivant at Arms. The Sixth Edition [on fine paper]. Improv’d with large Additions of many hundred Coats of Arms, under their respective Bearings, with good Authorities from the Ashmolean Library, Sir George Mackenzie, &c. With his Tract of Precedency, containing all his Rules, Observations, Arguments, and chief Instances. To which is added, “A Treatise of Honour Military and Civil”, According to the Laws and Customs of England, By Capt. John Logan. Illustrated With the Arms, Crests, Supporters, and Motto’s of the Royal Familly, and Nobility: The Arms of the Sees of the English Bishops, and several of the Gentry. Together With the proper Habits of the different Degrees of the Nobility of England, and the Emblems of the chief Orders of Knighthood in Europe; all fairly engraven on Copper Plates. Also An Exact List of the Baronets, from their first Creation to this present Time; and most of their Arms Blazon’d. With an Account of the Customs, Government, and Privileges of the City of London, the other Cities of England, and Shire-Towns of each County, and their Arms. Likewise A Supplement of Scarce tracts relating to the Office of Arms, taken from Authentick Copies. And A Dictionary, explaining the several Terms used by Heralds, in English, Latin and French. With proper Tables to the Whole. [With 17 full-page, original portraits, engraved by Edward Le Davis and flemish engraver Michael van der Gucht / With 295 engraved crests / coat of arms, displayed on 47 pages].

London, R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin in St.Paul’s Church-Yard / And J. Walthoe and Tho. Ward, in the Temple, 1724. Folio (26 cm x 39 cm). Frontispiece, [5], 20 pp. [″The Introduction”], [1], 460 pp. [″A Display of Heraldry”], [2], 275 pp. [″Observations upon the Laws and Customs of Nations”], 58 pp. [″Honour Civil of the City of London”], 24 pp. [″Dictionary used by Heralds”], [11] pp. [″Alphabetical Table of the Names of the Nobility and Gentry”]. Illustrated and complete with 17 portraits of courtyard and apparatus and 47 plates, engraved on wood, reproducing a total of hundreds of coats of arms with coats, crests, lambrequins, helmets and coins. Very many coats of arms in the 2-columned text. Hardcover / Original 18th-century binding with modern restauration (rebacked) to the highest standards. Superior example of this publication ! Unusually excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear. Frontispiece and last page of the work with minor crease. Two corners torn (two pages following the title), corner of page 185 torn and page 92 of the second part of the book with longer lesion within text (no loss of text). Endpapers and pastedown with some minor spotting. All these descriptions of faults sound worse than they are. Interior text, plates and portraits overall in unbelievably clean and excellent condition. Name of pre-owner in ink on title and verso frontispiece (″J.Stilwell”).

4. [Wykeham, William] Lowth, Robert.

The Life of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester. Collected from Records, Registers, Manuscripts, and other Authentic Evidences: By Robert Lowth, D.D. Prebendary of Durham, and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty.

The Secon Edition, corrected. London, Printed for A.Millar, in the Strand; an R. and J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall, 1759. Octavo. Frontispiece, Engraved Title-page, XXXIV, 357, LIV pages plus Large, fold-out Genealogical Plate “Tabula Genealogica exhibens cognatos & affines William de Wykeham…”. Including an additional, full-page, detailed engraving of William of Wykeham’s pastoral staff (crosier). Hardcover / Original full leather with gilt lettering on spine. Very good and firm condition with only minor signs of wear. From the library of Daniel Conner (Connerville / Manch House), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown.

5. [Newbery & Carnan].

A Description of England and Wales [with 240 Plates] – Containing a particular Account of each County, with its Antiquities, Curiosities, Situation, Figure, Extent, Climate, Rivers, Lakes, Mineral Waters, Soils, Fossils, Caverns, Plants and Minerals, Agriculture, Civil and Ecclesiastical Divisions, Cities, Towns, Palaces, Seats, Corporations, Markets, Fairs, Manufactures, Trade, Sieges, Battles and the Lives of illustrious Men each County has produced, Embellished with two hundred and forty Copper Plates of Palaces, Castles, Cathedrals; The Ruins of Roman and Saxon Buildings; And of Abbeys, Monasteries, and other Religious Houses. Besides a Variety of Cuts of Urns, Inscriptions, and other Antiquities.

Ten Volumes (complete set). London, Newbery and Carnan, 1769. Small Octavo. Volume I: XII, 299 pages / Volume II: 286 pages / Volume III: 288 pages / Volume IV: 288 pages / Volume V: 288 pages / Volume VI: 288 pages / Volume VII: 287 pages / Volume VIII: 288 pages / Volume IX: 288 pages / Volume X: 288 pages // Hardcover / Nine Volumes in their original 18th-century full leather with gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Volume One recently bound to style by english master-binders. Faded dampstain to Volume III. Otherwise in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Two spine-labels slightly damaged. Bookplate of Daniel Conner to pastedowns of Volumes 2 – 9.

6. Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of.

Letters written by the late Right Honourable Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, to his son, Philip Stanhope, Esq.; Late Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Dresden: together with other several pieces on various subjects. Published by Mrs. Eugenia Stanhope, from the originals now in her Possession

The Third Edition. In Four Volumes (complete set). London, J. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, 1774. Octavo. Collation: Volume I: Engraved frontispiece of Stanhope, XVI, 352 pages / Volume II: (2), 355 pages / Volume III: (2), 376 pages / Volume IV: (2), 364 pages. (Collation complete). Hardcover / Original 18th century full calf with gilt lettering on original spinelabels. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Smaller dampstain to lower first and last two pages of two volumes only. The bindings a little shaky but holding. Provenance: From the library of Robert Doyne, with his Exlibris – bookplate to the front pastedown of all four volumes. While he died already in 1733 and these books were published in 1774, it is very likely that the bookplates were still applied by his librarian or family / Sir Robert Doyne (1651-1733) was member of the Irish House of Commons for New Ross from 1692 to 1695, and later a distinguished judge who served as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer from 1695 to 1703 and Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas from 1703 to 1714. In the latter year like all the senior judges in Ireland appointed under Queen Anne he was removed by the new administration; while allegations of corruption were made, the removal seems to have been a simple matter of politics. Although the Irish House of Commons passed a resolution that he had acted corruptly no further action seems to have been taken against him and he lived in peaceful retirement for many years. (Wikipedia)

7. [Henry, David / Power, Francis / Carnan, Thomas / Sir Christopher Wren] Anonymous.

An Historical account of the Curiosities of London and Westminster, In Three Parts. Part I. Contains a full description of the Tower of London, and every thing curious in and belonging to it. Part II. Contains The History of Westminster-Abbey, from its foundation to the present time ; with its Antiquities, Tombs, and Inscriptions. Part III. Treats of the Old Cathedral of St. Paul’s and the new ; together with a full account of the Monument, London-Stone, the City-wall, Gates, and other Antique [Roman] remains.

With three separate titlepages. London, Printed for Francis Power and Thomas Carnan, 1785 – 1789. Small Octavo (11,5 cm x 17 cm). Part I: IV, 64 pages / Part II: IV, 139 pages plus 5 pages of a thorough Index / Part III: IV, 56 pages. Hardcover / Original half-vellum with marbled paper-covered boards. Binding with some minor signs of wear. Binding and spine firm. Overall in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Name of preowner Mary Gray written in ink on titlepages.

8. [Earliest Illustraton of Kings Bromley Manor] Shaw, Rev. Stebbing.

The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire. Complete Set of two Volumes (all published/fully restored). With an original Plan of Wolverhampton, A large map of Staffordshire, Engravings of Boscobel House, The Pedigree of Turton, Etchings of Kings Bromley, Pipe Ridware House, Lichfield, Site of Blythbury Priory, Mavesyn Ridware, Cathedral of Lichfield, View of Freeford, etc. etc. Volume I – Containing the Ancient and Modern History of Thirty Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow, arranged Geographically, with an Appendix of the most curious Charters &c. Illustrated with sixty-two copper plates and a copious Index / Volume II – Part1 (all published) – Containing the Prefatory Introduction, commencing with a Series of Original Letters from Plot’s time to the present; General and Natural History &c. Ancient and Modern History of the remaining Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow and the Whole of Seisdon, arranged Geographically with an Appendix of curious Charters and other additions and Corrections &c. Illustrated with fifty copper plates and a copious Index. Compiled from the Manuscripts of Huntbach, Loxdale, Bishop Lyttelton, and other Collections of Dr.Wilkes, the Rev. T.Reilde. Including Erdeswicke’s Survey of the County and the approved parts of Dr. Plot’s Natural History. The whole brought down to the present time. Interspersed with Pedigrees and Anecdotes of Families, Observations on Agriculture, Commerce, Mines and Manufactories and illustrated with a very full and correct new map of the County, “Agri Staffordiensis Icon” and numerous other plates.

London, J.Nichols and Son, 1798-1801. Large-Folio. Volume I: Folded Map of Staffordshire by W.Faden, Portrait of Rev. Shaw (detached), XXIV, (2), 125, XXXVIII, 434, 38 pages / Volume II, Part I: A Plan of Wolverhampton, XXXII, 290, 20 pages. With a double-page plan, a large, folded county map (coloured), 82 engraved plates, numerous vignettes within the text and 3 folded pedigree – tables. Modern Hardcover. Exceptionally restored. This work is difficult to handle if not in a sturdy binding ! Original Edition in professionally rebound halfleather with gilt lettering on spine and extra-strong boards, suited for this heavy set. This masterpiece of underestimated english local history is of great interest because of its fold out maps and numerous large folio etchings.

9. Addison, Joseph / Steele, Richard ] [Pope, Alexander etc.].

The Spectator. [Authors of this 1798-edition in Eight Volumes include Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele, Eustace Budgell, Thomas Tickell, John Hughes, Dr.Thomas Parnell, Alexander Pope, Laurence Eusden, Richard Ince, Henry Martin, John Byrom, Gilbert Budgell, Rev. Richard Parker, Henry Grove, Henley and others / Of the remaining contributors to this work, we may remark that their papers are either so few or so littlea ccount can be given of them with certainty, that we shall rest satisfied with annexing their names to the pieces that are respectively ascribed to them. The most noted, however, of these are, Dr.Zachary Pearce, Bishop of Rochester, who furnished Nos. 572 and 623; and the Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, who wrote the Letter on Travelling, No.264].

Eight Volumes (complete set). London, Printed for C.Bathurst, C.Nourse, T.Carnan, F.Newbery, W.Johnstone, P.Valliant, T.Davies, and R.Tonson, 1798. Small Octavo (11 cm wide x 17.8 cm high). Volume I: XVI, [2], 327 pages / Volume II: 338 pages / Volume III: 311 pages / Volume IV: 292 pages / Volume V: 294 pages / Volume VI: 307 pages / Volume VII: 328 pages / Volume VIII: 286 pages. Hardcover / Original, full 18th century leather with gilt lettering and ornament to spine. Endpaper of Volume I missing. The bindings a little rubbed and bumped to upper spine. Rare in this original binding. Very good and especially firm condition of all Volumes.

10. [Saunders, Richard] Rider, Cardanus.

Rider’s British Merlin: For the Year of our Lord 1799. Being the Third after Bissextile or Leap-Year. Adorned with many delightful and useful Verities, fitting all Capacities in the Islands of Great Britain’s Monarchy. With notes of Husbandry, Fairs, Marts, High Roads and Tables for many necessary uses. Compiled for the Country’s Benefit by Cardanus Rider. [With: “The Arms of the Peers, Peeresses &c. of England, Scotland & Ireland the Insignia of the Different Orders of Knighthood with the Baronets of Great Britain and the Dates of their Creations” [With: “Heraldry in Miniature” / Including a small section to the end of the publication with “British Governments in America and the West-Indies with Upper Canada – Lower Canada – Cape Breton – Virgin Island – Montserrat – Grenada – Jamaica – Leeward Islands – Barbados [Barbadoes]” etc.]. [ With a section on “Peers, Peeresses and Bishops of Ireland – That are Not Peers of England”].

London, Printed for the Company of Stationers, 1799. Slim-Octavo (9,5 cm x 16 cm). Collation complete with parts of the book interleaved: 60, XXXVI, [122 + 4 misbound planches with coats of arms, pagination incorrect but all plates available that are called for], plus 321 pages [House of Peers of Great Britain with misprinted pagination to the beginning of the 321 pages]. Original Hardcover / 18th century or early 19th century red leather. Stronger rubbed but firm and intact binding. Interior with tear to page 15/16, some minor foxing and browning only, some writing to interleaved pages in a child’s hand. All plates with Heraldic Bearings, Coat of Arms, Emblemata, Badges etc. included. Here the rare 1799 publication with over 500 examples of Heraldry of Ireland, Scotland and England. Includes Irish Earls, Irish Barons, Irish Archbishops, Irish Viscounts, etc. [Coat of Arms of Fingal, Glandore, Lisburne, Winterton, Arran, Barrymore, Marq. Donegall, Clanricarde, Fife, Lowth, Upper Ossory etc. etc.]