Schapiro, Meyer / [Provenance: Henry David Aiken Collection].

The Still Life as a Personal Object – A note on Heidegger and van Gogh.

4°. 7 pages. Stapled offprint from “The Reach of Mind: Essays in Memory of Kurt Goldstein” – 1968. Sent by Schapiro to Henry David Aiken (this lot includes the original envelope).

Aristotle [Aristoteles] / Apuleius, Lucius / Averroes / Boethius, Anicius Manlius Severinus / Gilbertus Porretanus [Gilbert de la Porrée / Gilbert of Poitiers / Pictaviensis] / Plato / Porphyrius / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus / [Garaldi, Bernardino / Morandi, Bartolomeo].

Ecce lector candidissime notabilia dicta scitu & memoria digna. Timei Platonis. Aristotelis. Comentatoris. Porphirij. Gilberti Por. Boetij. Senece. Apulei. Quibus addita sunt pulcherima problemata Aristotelis philosophis attinentia, medicis quocumque vtilia.

[Pavia], Bernardino Garaldi / Bartolomeo Morandi [Papie, Impensis Bartolomei de Morandis Bergomensis, et per magistrum Bernardinum de Garaldis impresse], 1521. Octavo (15,5 cm x 11 cm). CXI leaves with woodcut-titlepage. Excellent modern Hardcover (full calf with spinelabel) bound to 16th-century style. Very good condition. Few pages with minor staining only. With some manuscript annotations and one longer manuscript-entry to the last page of the volume. Sole edition, only held in two libraries worldwide (Bergamo and Turin / Torino). An extremely scarce, early 16th century print of a repertory with chapters on Metaphysics, Ethics, Politics. Mainly philosophical but also some medical aphorisms from various philosophers. The Volume also includes an early edition of Aristotle’s “Problemata”.

Boccaccio, Giovanni / [Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari].

L’amorosa fiammetta di M. Giovanni Boccaccio, di Nuovo Corretta et Ristampata, con La Tavola et le Postille delle cose Piu Notabili.

Venetia, Appresso I Gioliti, 1584. 9.5 cm x 15.4 cm. 107, [1] pages including illustrated titlepage with Giolito’s printer mark and Giolito’s stunning colophon of Phoenix rising from the ashes and the Motto: “Semper eadem” (″Always the same”). Hardcover in custom – made solanderbox. Recently rebound in half-leather with marbled paper-covered-boards. The bookblock in very good condition with some minor, contemporary inkstains. Name of preowner “Exlibris Bernard Rielliae [″Bernard Reilly”] in contemporary ink (16th or 17th century entry). Small lesion to titlepage and first three pages only. Very faint, faded dampstain to the outer margins of a few pages.

Puget de la Serre, Jean.

L’Entretien des Bons Esprits sur les Vanitez du Monde.

Paris, Chez Mathurin Henault, Nicolas de la Vigne et Nicolas de la Coste, 1631. 12 cm x 16.5 cm. Frontispice, (6), 569 pages including a further 3 engravings (4 engravings including Frontispice). / Edition Originale, illustrée d’un frontispice gravé représentant la mort couronnée plus 3 gravures à représentations des Vanitez du Monde. Original Hardcover / Reliure d’époque de veau moucheté, dos à nerfs, caissons ornés, pièce de titre de maroquin marron, tranches rouges. Bon etat. Très rare ! / Minor repairs (professional) to the titlepage and only very minor lesion to some of the illustrations and some pages.

Hale, Sir Matthew.

The Primitive Origination of Mankind, considered and examined According to The Light of Nature. [with extensive contemporary manuscript annotations]. Written by the Honourable Sir Matthew Hale Knight: Late Chief Justice of His Majesties Court of King’s Bench.

First Edition. London, Printed by William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery [sic] [Shrewsbury] at the Sign of the Bible in Duke-Lane, 1677. Large Quarto. Frontispiece-portrait (original copper-engraving) of Sir Matthew Hale by dutch print artist Frederick Hendrik Van Hove, [10], 380 pages. All edges painted red (contemporary 17th century speckled red). Hardcover / Splendid recent half-leather with new spinelabel and marbled-paper-covered-boards. Original endpapers and original pastedown with original bookplate/Exlibris of Richard Meade (Ballymartle). Very interesting, contemporary annotations in ink to nearly every paragraph of the pages 1 – 47. The annotations closely cropped with some frequent text-loss to the annotations only (text-loss ranges from only a few letters to full words along each page but the meaning is still conceivable). The extensive annotations reflect not only on Descartes supposition on Epicurus “what colour of evidence have we of the various Configurations of his Atomes”, but also the chapter in which Hale is “Touching the Excellency of the Humane Nature in general” is commented in sections in which the sense of Vegetables is elaborated on as is on the senses: Touching, Smelling, Tasting, Hearing, Seeing. All annotations wonderfully speculative and in a very readable hand. Name of preowner written in ink on titlepage: “Jon. Falkner” [Jonathan Falkner or John Falkner]. Excellent condition after this work was recently beautifully restored by an english master-bookbindery.

Hale, Sir Matthew [William Hayward Roberts / Reverend William Roberts of Worplesdon].

The Primitive Origination of Mankind, considered and examined According to The Light of Nature. [The first ever publication to deal with “Evolution” / With extensive and very interesting, contemporary manuscript annotations by two or three contemporary owners of this book: William Hayward Roberts (English born schoolmaster, poet and biblical critic, cleric and Provost of Eton College), his son, Rev. William Roberts of Worplesdon, fellow and vice-provost of Eton College and one Edward D’Oyly / Bookplate – Exlibris of the “Roberts”-family mounted verso titlepage]. Written by the Honourable Sir Matthew Hale Knight: Late Chief Justice of His Majesties Court of King’s Bench.

First Edition. London, Printed by William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery [sic] [Shrewsbury] at the Sign of the Bible in Duke-Lane, 1677. Large Quarto. Frontispiece-portrait (original copper-engraving of Sir Matthew Hale by dutch print artist Frederick Hendrik Van Hove), [10], 380 pages. Modern Hardcover / Beautiful 20th century quarter-leather-binding with wonderful ornament and gilt lettering on spine. New endpapers and with original Bookplate / Exlibris of the Roberts – family verso the titlepage. With some stunning, extensive contemporary annotations and comments in ink, starting with page 1 and ending with page 355. While the annotations are more intense during the first 180 pages, they get more sparse towards the end. Loosely inserted is also a page of contemporary manuscript-notes reflecting on some of the passages in Hale’s work, outlining some paragraphs on Newton (Astronomy), Navigation (Argo), The Discovery of America etc. Hale’s publication is known to be the first ever publication to deal with “Evolution” [see Garrison-Morton] and the annotations in this superb copy embrace the controversy of the publication by reflecting for example on page 69:″the absurdity of the Hypothesis of the Ancients is refuted, who held that Human Nature had an Origination”. While Hale philosophises on page 76 in his text “That there are in our inferior world divers Bodies, that are concreted out of others, is beyond all dispute. We see it in the Meteors…the insinuations of the Aether and Air….other animals and some Vegetables have a more regular production from Seed as some perfecter sort of Vegetables and the nobler Animals and Men, which seminal Principle is a mixture of the divers particles of Matter and Spirits, derived and elicited from the Plant or Animal.” Our contemporary annotater simply reflects on one paragraph preceding the above with: “Mixed Bodies not eternal”. On page 93 it is reflected n the annotations that “God might have made the world sooner” – “But had he made it Millions of years sooner, it would not have answered his “ultimum posse” [of Almighty God] / Newton is mentioned, Paracelus, Cabalists [Cabbalists], etc. etc. Reflections in the annotations like “The Opinion of Americans with regard to the Being of a God” make this copy an amazing source of dispute, conflict and debate prior to Darwin’s “Origin of Species”. All annotations in a very readable hand. Excellent condition with only the portrait slightly frayed and minor signs of an ink-stain to the outer margins of 10 pages towards the end of the book. This work was beautifully rebound; clearly by a master-bookbinder.

[Hobbes, Thomas] Member of the Athenian Society [attributed to John Dunton].

The Athenian Oracle [Including: “An Elegy on the Death of the Honourable Robert Doyle” / “What think you of the Milky Way in Heaven ?” / “Who was the first Founder of Atheism ?” / “Whether Hobbs [sic] [Thomas Hobbes] or Lestrange [Roger Lestrange] is the better Christian ?” / “A Voluntary on the Nativity of our Blessed Lord: Christmas-Day 1692”]. Being an entire collection of all the valuable questions and answers in the old Athenian Mercuries : Intermix’d with many Cases in Divinity, History, Philosophy, Mathematicks [sic] [Mathematics], Love, Poetry, never before published : to which is added, an alphabetical table for the speedy finding of any questions.

The Third Edition Corrected. Volume I (of three Volumes). London, Printed for Andrew Bell, at the Cross Keys and Bible in Cornhill, near Stocks-market, 1706. 12.7 cm x 20 cm. 568 pages, inlcuding two leaves of advertising for “Books printed for Andrew Bell”. Hardcover / Original 18th century full leather with ornament to boards and recently rebacked spine. Very good condition with minor signs of external wear. Moderate foxing to front and rear pastedown and endpapers.

Locke, John.

De l’education des enfans; traduit de l’anglois de Mr. Locke, par Mr. Coste. [French translation of “Some thoughts concerning education” from 1695]. Sur l’édition angloise publiée après la mort de l’auteur, qui l’avoit revûë, corrigée, & augmentée. Suivant la copie imprimée à Amsterdam.

Édition pirate [de Suisse]. Amsterdam, 1730. Octavo (11 cm x 16.5 cm). Frontispiece – Portrait of John Locke, [6], 3-24, 468, [12] pages. Hardcover / Reliure originale. Un peu taché, frotté et heurté par endroits, le dos collé avec des bandes de papier et des étiquettes en papier. Globalement un très bon exemple de cette importante publication.

Derham, William [Philosopher and Scientist] / [John Senex (Cartographer)].

Astro-Theology: or, a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, From a Survey of the Heavens [Including a Chapter on the “Attraction of Gravity”].

Sixth Edition. London, W. Innys, 1731. Octavo. [16], LVI, [8], 246 pages,[10 pages of Index], [with 3 astronomical foldout engravings by english Cartographer and Explorer John Senex / The Engravings show the Ptolemaic Geocentric System with the Earth as centre of the Universe and discuss other models as well by pointing to pages within the text that reflect on the illustrations / Two of the Engravings are showing the Stars and Constellations over Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, Asia etc.]. ]. Original Hardcover / bound in contemporary panelled calf. The book has been sympathetically rebacked to style. Besides a spot of hard green adhesive to the front board in very good condition. The armorial 18th century bookplate of one Dr. Blackett appears on the first pastedown [″A coat of arms divided into three portions, with three stars and three scallop shells throughout. At the helm is the head of an eagle, and elaborate mantling, flowers, and leaves surround the crest. Below is the motto ‘Nous Travailler ons dans L’Esperance’”] / The text of this rare and notoriously underrated book is complete and clean with the three foldout engravings of the cosmos to the rear with only a small archival paper restoration to one of the engravings.

Bougeant, Guillaume Hyacinthe / François-Alexandre Aubert de la Chesnaye Desbois.

Amusement Philosophique sur le Langage des Bestes, Nouvelle Edition. Augmentee d’un Avertissement, d’un Discours preliminaire, d’un Critique, avec des Notes, & de la Retractation de l’Auteur. [Ensemble avec: Lettre ¡a Madame la Comtesse D***. Pour servir de Supplément à l’amusement Philosophique sure le langage des Bétes. [par François-Alexandre Aubert de la Chesnaye Desbois]

Amsterdam, Aux dépens de la Compagnie, [1750]. 10,5 cm x 17,5 cm. XLVI, 134 pages, (50) pages, [4] pages. Reliure originale / Hardcover – Original full leather with raised bands, gilt lettering and ornament to spine. The volume is now in protective Mylar. Minor wear. Spine slighty starting. Otherwise in excellent and firm condition.