Fiction

The Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St Patricks, Dublin, Accurately in Six Volumes, Adorned with Copper Plates; with Some account of the Author’s Life, and Notes Historical and Explanatory, by John Hawkesworth

Six large quarto volumes in contemporary full leather bindings published London, 1755, first editions in this form. Printed by C. Bathurst, C. Davis, C. Hitch etc. Complete and in very good condition. Various plates including, in particular the plates and maps relating to Gulliver’s Travels.

Each volume bound in full leather with gilt moniker centre front. Raised bands to spines with six compartments those free with gilt decoration. Black leather title and volume labels showing some age and Vol 1 with loss. Gilt lines to boards and gilt knurling to board edges and on board inside edges. Marbled end paper, marbled page edges

The first noted owners of the set are of interest. Isaac Blackburne born in 1759 to Thomas Blackburne High Sheriff of Lancashire. He went to school in Manchester and then Oriel College, Oxford where he qualifies BA in 1782 and MA 1785. During the “French Wars” he was Captain in Lord Stanley’s Lancashire Regiment. His sister Anne Blackburne was a distinguished botanist who corresponded with Linnaeus. She was the first person to cultivate pineapples in England. Isaac died 17th December 1830. The volumes record the passing to his son Thomas Blackburne via his sister Mary the following year.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) barely requires introduction. An Anglo-Irish satirist, political pamphleteer for the Whigs and then the Tories, poet and cleric who became the Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. Whilst Gulliver’s Travels is foremost in most minds he also wrote and included here – A Modest Proposal; A Journal to Stella; Drapier’s Letters; The Battle of the Books; A Tale of a Tub etc. The foremost satirist in the English language and Master of both the Horatian and Juvenalian styles of that creed.

The presentation of Gulliver’s Travels is excellent. Pages throughout are clean and the plates and in particular the maps are well executed and full quarto page size. The relevance to Australia may not be understood by all with Lilliput set south of Sumatra and with Van Diemen’s Land featuring in the south east … Houyhnhnms Land and the Yahoos, as everybody knows, was discovered in 1711 and sits off the coast of South Australia.

The “biographer” John Hawkesworth requires mention, a man of distinction not the least in that he wrote up the official account of James Cook’s First Voyage in the Endeavour and the discovery of the East Coast of Australia.

Superior Quarto Swift’s Works in Six Volumes including Gulliver’s Travels Full leather binding – 1755

$1,690.00

Updating cart…

First publication of Two Wordsworth Sonnets – A Collection of Poems, Chiefly Manuscript and from Living Authors – Edited by Joana Baillie – First Edition 1823 – Earl of Crawford and balcarres Copy – Bibliotheca Lindesiana

First publication of Two Wordsworth Sonnets.

A Collection of Poems, Chiefly Manuscript and from living Authors.

A first edition and a very good copy published by Longman et al, London in 1823. Octavo,330 pages after lengthy list of subscribers. Contemporary half leather with marbled boards, separate title, editor and date labels to spine, raised bands with gilt lines. Some wear but solid and a good period binding.

Carries the bookplate of one of Britain’s greatest ever private libraries “Bibliotheca Lindesiana” which was established by the Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford and Eighth Earl of Balcarres His wife is listed as a subscriber. His son, James Lindsay, 26th Earl etc continued the building of the library which was housed at Haigh Hall in Cumberland and their Scottish residence “Balcarres” in Fife. The activities of this family are remarkable … previously that had mad money from slavery. When abolished they received massive compensation which they invested into lucrative coal mines. The money supported lavish interests … the 25th Earl becoming a notable art collector and historian and the son an important astronomer … and of course the library.

The editor Joanna Baillie was herself a distinguished Scottish Poet and the volume contains some of her work. Also, it contains the first appearance of Walter Scott’s One Act Play “McDuff’s Cross” and Southey’s “The Cataract of Lodore”. The highlight surely the first published Sonnets by William Wordsworth – “Not Love nor War”’ and “A Volant Tribe of Bards”

The subscribers list is most interesting not the least that it starts with The King’s Most Excellent Majesty … who took five copies but also Lady Byron, George Crabbe, Sir Humphrey Davey, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sir Walter Scott (ten copies), James Watt and many more notables.

Special collection including Wordsworth first published Sonnets and distinguished library pedigree

$190.00

Updating cart…

No Image Available

The Cruise of the “Cachalot” Round the World after Sperm Whales – Frank Bullen – 1899

Published by Smith and Elder, London 1899 in the more upmarket binding with the gilt whale to the front board.

Large octavo, 380 pages with 7 pages of plates and a folding map.

Bullen, a homeless waif, went so sea at twelve years old. After six years he landed at New Bedford, Massachusetts where he secured a berth on the “Cachalot” a whaler that would be his home for the next three years. A ripping yarn of fact and fiction actually based on the authors experiences on the “Splendid” of New Bedford in whaling grounds off “the Solanders, Vau Vau and the Australian Gulf”.

Admired by Rudyard Kipling as the best Whaling Narrative.

Best Whaling Story according to Kipling

$180.00

Updating cart…

The Golden Ocean – Patrick O’Brian

In 1956 Patrick O’Brian first published his novel based on the 1740 Anson Voyage Round the World. Over time he saw improvements and corrections in nautical matters which resulted in this reissue through Macmillna, London in 1970.

Octavo, 253 pages with a map of the “real” voyage. Name cut from corner of free end paper otherwise a good to better copy.

O’Brian vies with C.S. forester as the leader in this genre. If you have not read Anson’s voyage you will after reading this!

Best read near water … a heart thumping adventure

$25.00

Updating cart…

Admiral Hornblower – C.S. Forester – First Printing 1966

Published by Michael Joseph, London 1966. Thick octavo, 758 pages. Very good condition albeit dust jacket, designed by Charles Gorham, a little rubbed to edges.

A first edition of this compilation of four Hornblower titles … Flying Colours; The Commodore; Lord Hornblower and Hornblower in the West Indies.

A feast of Hornblower

$55.00

Updating cart…

Hornblower In the West Indies – C.S. Forester – 1958

Published by Michael Joseph, London in November 1958 a second impression of the first edition.

Octavo, 283 pages all in very good condition. Dust jacket design by “Biro”.

Hornblower now a Lord and Rear Admiral at his best in a collection of five stories of the West Indies

Lovely condition Horny 1958

$50.00

Updating cart…

The Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St Patricks, Dublin, Accurately in Six Volumes, Adorned with Copper Plates; with Some account of the Author’s Life, and Notes Historical and Explanatory, by John Hawkesworth

First publication of Two Wordsworth Sonnets – A Collection of Poems, Chiefly Manuscript and from Living Authors – Edited by Joana Baillie – First Edition 1823 – Earl of Crawford and balcarres Copy – Bibliotheca Lindesiana

The Cruise of the “Cachalot” Round the World after Sperm Whales – Frank Bullen – 1899

The Golden Ocean – Patrick O’Brian

Admiral Hornblower – C.S. Forester – First Printing 1966

Hornblower In the West Indies – C.S. Forester – 1958

Product Categories