Prestige Items

Il Pentamerone; or, The Tale of Tales – Basile – Translated Sir Richard Burton KCMG – First and Limited Edition – 1893

Being a Translation by the Late Sir Richard Burton, K.C.M.G., of Il Pentamerone;OveroLo Cuntode Li Cunte, Trattenemiento de Li Peccerille, of Giovanni Battista Basile, Count of Torne (Gian Alessio Abbattutis).

First edition in two volumes published by Henry and Co, London 1893. Published posthumously by his devoted wife Lady Burton.

A limited edition of 1,500 copies. Two volumes, octavo, 282 pages, [283]-562 pages. Original dark blue (near black) buckram cloth, gilt lettered. Minor rubbing to spine ends. Overall a very good clean set of a sought after Burton work.

The stories in the Pentamerone were collected by Basile and published posthumously by his sister Adriana in Naples in 1634 and 1636 under the pseudonym Abbatutis. The stories were later adapted by a number of authors including the Brothers Grimm who acknowledged the use of stories in the Pentamerone in Cinderella, Rapunzel, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel.

Basile recorded the stories in Neapolitan and is regarded as the first writer to record the Neapolitan intonations. The style is heavily Baroque with many metaphorical expressions.

The term Pentameone comes from the Greek “pente” or five and “hemera” day. The work is set within a “frame story” with fifty separate tales being told over the course of five days … referencing Baccaccio’s Decameron of 1353 which has a ten day structure.

Beautiful stories translated by the genius that was Sir Richard Burton. Limited first edition.

$170.00

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Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

Original folio accounts book for the two-year ending 31st December 1792 most likely of or the predecessor to one of England’s leading maritime rope makers, Webster of Deptford, Sunderland County Durham. Original quarter reverse calf with marbled paper covered boards. 62 pages of fine handwriting … appears all the same hand.

Titled at the head of page the first page “An Inventory of Goods etc at the Ropery belonging Messrs William Marshall and John Webster together with an account of the Debts due to & from them this first Day of January One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One”

The first record of rope making on Wearside (the river Weir runs through Sunderland) was in 1636. The rope was likely made from Baltic hemp. Before 1800 ropes were hand-made on ropewalks a practice that continued for another 100 years. Ropewalks had to be wide enough for four men to spin abreast of each other and long enough to make a standard 120 fathom marine rope. Up to 20 people may be employed on just one rope.

Webster’s plant at Deptford was the first on Wearside driven by steam. It is believed to be the world’s first factory producing machine-made rope. Robert Fothergill a Sunderland schoolmaster had patented a machine to spin hemp the year after our accounts book (1793). It could be that this careful record was produced as part of an exercise to obtain finance for the mechanisation … although the low wages recorded suggest that that mechanisation may well have been underway. We do know that Fothergill died shortly afterwards and Grimshaw a local clockmaker took up the rights in partnership with our Webster and two others. Although its not clear whether the Webster involved was Rowland a distinguished magistrate or John as noted here.

One of the partners in the business was the distinguished Rowland Burdon who later gave up his Parliamentary position on principle although many though that it was because Webster’s Ropery had gained very lucrative contracts with the Royal Navy and he was avoiding any backlash financially … for sure Webster’s were there at Trafalgar!

The records mention many of the vessels of the day that would have been working out of the North-east along with their captains … e.g. Captain McQuarrie of the Fanny; Johnstone of the Nancy William; Robinson of the Broughton Tower; Cleminson of the Argyll; Kennel of the Endeavour (a new one); Dixon of the Sarah; Holm of the Hollow Oak; Neal of the Betsy.

Neat recording of debts and payments with particulars of sales noted with full description for every transaction with monthly totals compared often against some measure of the physical amount sold (early KPI’s). Stock holdings, wages per wage period all set out very carefully. For an industrial historian there seems sufficient information to paint a pretty full picture of the extent of activities. We have gleamed that the Ropery Buildings are in the books at GBP 220, stockholdings were GBP205 and annual sales GBP484 with total wages of only GBP72. Looks nicely profitable.

Interestingly, the Ropery building still exists and has been restored … it is a magnificent building and has been re-established as Webster’s Ropery … but as a beautiful wedding venue … check it out we have shown an image here.

Accounting Records from 1792 …. unique Maritime interest …

$290.00

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The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

First edition, published by MacMillan, London in 1932. Largish octavo, 255 pages nicely illustrated from photographs and drawings with a nice map of the relevant area. Striking blue cloth covered binding with gilt titling to spine and front as well as a lavish gilt image of a Lhota warrior in full dress.

Whilst the author had no formal anthropological training this is widely regarded as the primary source of information regarding the reclusive and inviting Lhota Nagas

Mills addresses the origins of the tribe, their migration, appearance, dress, ornament and weapons. Domestic life among the Nagas and the “Morung” … agriculture and the various unusual associated ceremonies. Hunting, fishing, food, medicine and drugs. Games they play, music and entertainment. The laws and customs by which they abide… war and head-hunting, Slavery and the position of women. Religion and life after death … magic, folk tales and songs. A good chapter on their language and various appendices concerning the Lhota calendar, mensuration and human sacrifice.

John Philip Mills (1890- 1960) was educated at Winchester College and Corpus Christi Cambridge. He spent three years as the Assistant Commissioner at Mokokchung, remote Nagaland in Northern India bordering Assam. During that period he worked on this book. Later in life he was rewarded for his work … back in London he was appointed Reader at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. In the 1950’s he was President of the Anthropological Institute.

The surprising life of the Lhota Nagas a unique people

$240.00

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Hindu-Koh – Wanderings and Wild Sport on and Beyond the Himalayas – Major General Donald Macintyre.– 1891

Published by Blackwood, Edinburgh and London in 1891. Updated enhanced edition of 1891.

Large octavo, 362 pages with numerous illustrations. Striking blue cloth cover with the large gilt illustration of the mountain goat to the front. Very good condition. The frontispiece is a piece of work displaying the “bag” in all its magnificence. The tissue guard to the frontispiece is a masterpiece describing each element of the “bag” … we have put a piece of white paper behind to for the scan so that you can see the detail more clearly.

Macintyre travelled from Srinagar to Leh and on to Chang Chenmo and Lingzi=tang in 1871. This journey covers parts of Cashmere, Sind, Ladakh, Tibet and parts of China. Extensively in the Himalaya foothills. The account represents many years of travel and hunting in the region.

The account contains vivid descriptions of the people and their customs. And the wildlife … including elephant, tiger, bear, leopard, musk-deer, ibex, mansheer, yak and many more. A primary and early source.

Donald Macintyre (1831-1903) was a Major in the British Indian Army … 2nd Gurkha Rifles. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Lushai Campaign for successfully storming enemy battlements while under intense fire. His medal resides in the Gurkha Museum.

Rare and valuable account of the broader Himalayas.

$270.00

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The Songs of Sappho – Miller and Robinson – Fine Production 1925

A beautiful edition published by Frank-Maurice, New York in 1925.

Longer Title … “the Songs of Sappho – Including the Recent Egyptian Discoveries – The Poems of Erinna – Greek Poems about Sappho – Ovid’s Epistle of Sappho to Phaon”. Translated by Marion Mills Miller (Editor of “The Classics – Greek and Latin”) with Greek texts prepared and annotated and literally translated in prose by David Moore Robinson, Professor in Classics, John Hopkins University.

Large octavo, 435 pages, rough cut page edges as issued. Very good near fine copy, original green boards with quarter vellum to spine with gilt titles. Top edge richly gilt. A limited edition of 750 copies. Ten full page plates.

Sappho (630BC – 570BC) was an archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. Sappho is best known for her poems about love and women. Most of the poetry is now lost and surviving items are mainly in fragments, except for one complete poem “Ode to Aphrodite”. Little is known of Sappho’s life, although likely from a wealthy family. Sappho was exiled to Sicily around 600BC … legend surrounds her love for the ferryman Phaon.

Sappho’s work has continued to influence writers. Beyond her poetry she is known as a symbol of love and desire between women.

From “Old Love is Best”’ …
“Whose soft footfall sets my heart a-bounding
Wilder than when the clarions are sounding;
Whose bright face hath power more to charm me
Than Lydia’s army!”

Finely bound beautiful Sappho – 1925

$120.00

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The Northern Hero – being a faithful Narrative of the Life, Adventures, and deceptions, of James George Semple, Commonly called Major Semple. Scarce Ferguson 18 – Published 1786.

Extremely scarce, despite being introduced as a “New Edition” with the circumstances of Each Fraud, and the Names of the Parties injured.

The lengthy title continues major Semple .. alias Major Harrold, Major Maxwell, Major Grant, Major Cunningham, Major Winter etc. With and account of his Devices at lord Salisbury’s, Sir Thomas Dundass’s, and Mr Pitt’s. Also the various Inventions by which he obtained Goods of Tradesmen. The Whole supported by indisputable Authority, with the Names of the Persons who were the Objects of his Depredations. Likewise … and Account of his Trial Before Mt Justice Gould and the Recorder at the Old Bailey on Saturday September 2 for defrauding Mr John Lycett, Coach-maker, in Whitechapel, of a Post-chaise, value fifty Guineas, of which he was Convicted.

Published by G. Kearsley, Fleet Street and sold by Bookseller, 1786. Octavo 90 pages after half title, frontispiece with engraving by Barlow of Semple in the dock, full title, book advertisements 2 pages, dedication from Compiler 1 page, blank 1 page, list of content 5 pages and Errata 1 page.

Bound in later quarter mottled polished leather with lavish marbled paper covered boards. Carries previous distinguished ownership bookplates of Nanyce Kent Perry and before that Dr George Mackaness. This being Ferguson No 18 and a manuscript note on the front pastedown “Ferguson Bibliography cites only the copy in Ferguson Collections.

Some evidence of professional repair to the margin on the frontispiece and some aging occasionally in the text but really a very good copy of a desirable early Ferguson book that cannot be found elsewhere.

Least to say the Major Semple was a bit of a rogue and a classy one at that. His final comeuppance rested on the fact the it was found that he intended to steal the coach … his defence was that it was a debt that he couldn’t pay … he lost and was sentenced to be taken to Botany Bay. He slipped ship at Rio!

Priceless Semple … off to Botany Bay in 1786 … or maybe not!

$390.00

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Il Pentamerone; or, The Tale of Tales – Basile – Translated Sir Richard Burton KCMG – First and Limited Edition – 1893

Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

Hindu-Koh – Wanderings and Wild Sport on and Beyond the Himalayas – Major General Donald Macintyre.– 1891

The Songs of Sappho – Miller and Robinson – Fine Production 1925

The Northern Hero – being a faithful Narrative of the Life, Adventures, and deceptions, of James George Semple, Commonly called Major Semple. Scarce Ferguson 18 – Published 1786.

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