17. Patrick, Simon / [The Right Reverend Simon [Symon] Patrick – Bishop of Ely].

The Devout Christian – Instructed how to pray and give thanks to God. Or, A Book of Devotions for families, and for Particular Persons, in most of the concerns of Human Life. By Sy. Patrick, D.D. now Lord Bishop of Ely.

The Tenth Edition. London, Printed for Luke Meredith, at the Star in St.Paul’s Church-Yard, 1697. Small Octavo (9.5 cm x 15.5 cm). Frontispiece, [7], 548 pages plus 4 pages oaf a Catalogue of “Books – Printed for and Sold by Luke Meredith, at the Star in St.Paul’s Churchyard” plus [8] pages “Table”. Hardcover / Original 17th century full leather with ornament to boards and new, modern spine-label and new endpapers. The Volume is now in Collector’s Mylar. Minor wormhole-damage to the frontispiece, titlepage and the first to pages. Some very minor browning from a very faint dampstain. Otherwise in very good condition after a thorough restoration. Although no sign of it, this book came from the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle).

8. Radcliffe, Ann.

The Mysteries of Udolpho – A Romance; interspersed with some pieces of Poetry.

First Dublin Edition / First Irish Edition. 3 Volumes [complete set]. Dublin, , by Hillary and Barlow, for Messrs. P. Wogan, W. Jones, and H. Colbert, 1794. Small Octavo (17.5 cm x 11 cm). Collation complete: Volume I: 310 pages / Volume II: 321 pages / Volume III: 357 pages. [Few pages with misprinted numerals, as often the case, but all pages in order and complete]. Original, unaltered, 18th-century full leather with gilt lettering on original spinelabels. Very rare, complete set of the first Dublin Edition. Very good- condition with stronger signs of external wear but all three Volumes in firm, original condition. Lesions to the leather-covered-boards and some stronger rubbing to extremeties. Interior with only very few problems. All three Volumes used to have two endpapers before and after the text and some of these endpapers are torn or missing. Textblock in general very good with some very minor and only occasional staining only. In Volume I, tear to corner of page 101/102 and 135/136. Faded stain to only the outer margins of pages 239 to 310 (text never affected). Volume II with small tear to pages 21/22 / Volume III with lesion to page 281/282 and tear to corner 305. These all sound worse than they are and the set is still in very good- condition. From the library of the Meade family in Ballymartle, the titlepage of each Volume bears the name of Helena Meade. An extremely rare and highly collectable set of one of the rarest titles in english literature.

15. Robison, John.

Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe, Carried on in the Secret Meetings of Free Masons, Illuminati and Reading Societies. Collected from good authorities by John Robison, A.M. – Professor of Natural Philosophy and Secretary to the Royal Society in Edinburgh. [With the printed dedication to William Wyndham].

The Fourth Edition, corrected; to which is added a Postscript. Dublin, Printed by W.Watson and Son, 1798. Large Octavo (14 cm x 21.5 cm). [2], 531 pages (incl. Postscript). Hardcover / Stunning, recent half leather and marbled-paper-covered-boards with gilt lettering and ornament to spine, bound to style of the 18th/19th century. Tear to page 9 (!). Otherwise in unusually excellent condition besides some mild browning (very occasionally only). From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown and name in ink on titlepage. Extremely scarce publication on Illuminati and freemasonry by the first general secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1783-1798). Extremely rare in any edition; nearly impossible to find in this condition !

25. Roche, Regina Maria [Author of “The Children of the Abbey”].

Clermont – A Tale.

Second Edition. Two Volumes (complete set). Dublin, Printed by William Porter, 1799. Small-Octavo (11,5 cm x 17,5 cm). Volume I: 269 pages / Volume II: 326 (of 329) pages [3 pages missing at the end]. Hardcover / Modern, very decorative half-leather bindings with replicated spinelabels in the style of the 18th century. Both Volumes in protective Mylar and now housed in a bespoke Solander Box. Name of Richard Meade of Ballymartle on titlepage of both Volumes. Minor lesion and tear to titlepage of Volume II. Overall very good ! Extremely scarce publication in first or second edition !

1. Sandham, Miss [Elizabeth].

The Boys’ School; or, Traits of Character in Early Life – A Moral Tale.

London, Printed for John Souter, [1821]. Small Octavo. Engraved Frontispiece, IV, 152 pages. Hardcover / Original publisher’s boards with spinelabel. Binding firm but with lower corner or rear board missing. Overall a little stronger rubbed. Endpapers intact. Previous owner’s name in ink on titlepage, dated 1822. From the library of Richard Meade of Ballymartle, County Cork, Ireland, with a gift-inscription to rear pastedown: “the gift of M.J.Meade to H. Meade, April, 27th, 1821”. Frontispiece and text in very good condition. Pages 101 – 108 with clean tears and some paperloss (text not effected from loss). An extremely scarce publication !

29. Secker, Thomas.

Sermons on Several Subjects, by Thomas Secker, L.L.D. Late Lord Archbishop of Catherbury. Published from the Original Manuscripts by Beilby Porteus, D.D. and George Stinton, D.D. His Grace Chaplains. To which is Prefixed “A Review of his Grace’s Life and Character”.

First Edition. Four Volumes bound in Two (complete set). Dublin, Printed for J.Exshaw, H.Saunders, J.Potts etc., 1771. Octavo. LXX, 416, IV, 495 pages. Original Hardcover / 18th-century full leather with spine-labels and ornament. Both Volumes in protective Collector’s Mylar. Very good condition with some signs of external wear. Titlepage of Volume III slightly detached. Some minor staining only. From the libraries of John and Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with their names in ink to titlepages.

24. Smith, Charlotte.

Desmond – A Novel in Two Volumes.

First Irish Edition. Two Volumes (complete set). Dublin, Printed for P.Wogan, P.Byrne, J.Moore, J.Rice, W. McKenzie, H.Colbert, G. Folingsby etc. etc., 1792. Small-Octavo (11 cm x 17 cm). VII, 276, 306 pages. Hardcover / Original 18th-century leather with original spinelabels. Both Volumes in protective Mylar and now housed in a bespoke Solander Box. Bindings rubbed with loss to labels. Bookplate / Exlibris of Richard Meade of Ballymartle attached to pastedown of Volume I.

27. Smith, Charlotte.

Montalbert – A Novel.

First Irish Edition. In Two Volumes (complete set). Dublin, Printed for P.Wogan, P.Byrne, J.Moore, J.Rice, G. Folingsby etc. etc., 1795. Small-Octavo (11 cm x 17 cm). 270, 276 pages. Hardcover / Original 18th-century leather with original spinelabels. Both Volumes in protective Mylar and now housed in a bespoke Solander Box. Bindings in excellent condition with only minor signs of wear. Bookplate / Exlibris of Richard Meade of Ballymartle attached to pastedown of Volume I.

7. Staunton, Sir George / Lord Macartney.

An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China [First Dublin Edition with 34 full-page-plates]; Including Cursory Observations Made, and Information Obtained, in Travelling Through That Ancient Empire, and a Small Part of Chinese Tartary. Together with a Relation of the Voyage undertaken on the Occasion by his Majesty’s Ship ‘The Lion’, and the Ship ‘Hindestan’ in the East India Company’s Service, to the Yellow Sea, and Gulf of Pekin [sic]; as well as of their return to Europe. With Notices of the several places where they stopped in their way out and home: being the Islands of Madeira, Teneriffe and St.Jago, the Port of Rio de Janeiro in South America; the Islands of St.Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Amsterdam, the Coast of Java and Sumatra, the Nanka Isles, Pulo-Condore and Cochin-China. Taken chiefly from the Papers of his Excellency, the Earl of Macartney, Knight of the Bath, his Majesty’s Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of China; Sir Erasmus Gower, Commander of the Expedition and other Gentlemen in the several Departments of the Embassy.

Two Volumes (complete set). Dublin, Printed for P.Wogan, R.Cross, P.Byrne and others, 1798. Octavo. Volume I: XV, 449 pages with 8 full-page plates / Volume II: XVIII, 430 pages, with 26 full-page-plates and including an Appendix. Hardcover / Original, early 19th century half leather with original spinelabels. Bindings firm and strong but rather worn. Bookplate of Richard Meade, Ballymartle, to the pastedown of Volume I. Overall in very good condition with some stronger signs of wear but with all the illustrations / engravings, called for in the Dublin Edition.

10. [Swift, Jonathan] / Earl of Orrery, John [Boyle] / [Boyle, Hamilton].

Remarks on the life and writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick’s, Dublin, In a series of letters from John Earl of Orrery to his son, the Honourable Hamilton Boyle.

London, A. Millar, 1752. 13 cm x 20.5 cm. Frontispiece-Portrait of Swift by Wilson, 339 pages [plus 9 page Index]. Hardcover / Stunning, recent half leather (using the original boards) with gilt lettering and ornament, bound to style of the 18th century by an english masterbinder. Occasionally beautifully and very decently blindstamped with coat of arms of Cheltenham Public Library. Very good condition. Some signs of foxing to the frontispiece and first few pages. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown.