Antiquarian

Early Manuscript – Harpsichord or Piano Arrangement of Hayden’s Seven Last Words from the Cross 1808/9

Composizioni del Sig Giuseppe Hayden sopra le sette ultime Parole del nostre Redenfore in Croce. Consistenti in Sette Sonate con un Introduzione et al Fine Teremota ridote per il Clavicembalo ou Forte Piona Opera 19.

Copied by hand from a score published in Vienna, presso Artaria Compagni 9, 1808.

Oblong folio manuscript comprising title page and 26 pages in early paper backed flush wrappers, all in a fine state. A delightfully executed manuscript copy inscribed “De Musica Fran H Hausser 1808/9” with the later library label of K Knittle.

The piano arrangement of Hayden’s Seven Last words of the Cross, authorised by Hayden. Arranged from a string quartet version from the same Publisher, Artaria in 1786. The piano version was first issued a year later … reference catalogue authority Hobken -Verzeidchis XX/1C.

Joseph Hayden born 1732 died in May 1809 so this manuscript could be coincidental or in honour of his death. The original work was orchestral and commissioned by the Cannon of Cadiz, Spain for a Good Friday service in which they traditionally performed new works of music the theme of which was based on Christ’s seven last words on the Cross. The format was always to be a ten minute adagio to follow the calling of each of the last words by the Church hierarchy. It was performed in a very austere environment with dark curtains hung and very little light intruding. In 1801 Hayden is recorded as saying that he had great difficulty complying with the “rules”. Nevertheless, the work is regarded as a great success and in many ways experimental for the time.

Hayden was paid in a very unusual way … he was sent a cake filled with gold coins. Just as well he ate it!

Beautiful manuscript score of an unusual piece by Joseph Hayden likely written in the year of his death.

$270.00

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Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

A very nice set of this almost legendary work, complete and unusually in their original bindings. Fictional letters claiming to have been written by an Ottoman spy named “Mahmut the Arabian” embedded in the French Court of Louis XIV.

Published in London by Wilde, Ballard and others in 1748. Eight volumes (Over 600 letters in all), duodecimo, engraved frontispiece to Vol I, full contemporary calf, spines gilt, some joints a bit cracked but holding. A twelfth edition of a great publishing success of the 18thC which would go on for a further fifty years.

Contemporary bookplate of Robert Midgley dated 1748 so the first owner. And the modern book label of Edward John Kenny the Latinist of Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, visiting at Harvard etc.

A journal of gossip and anecdotes on politics and events and shenanigans going on in France at the time.

Written in Italian by Giovanni Paola Marana (1642-1693) a Genoese refugee in the Court of the said Louis XIV. He completed the first volume of 102 letters, and had it translated to French and published in Paris in 1684-1686. Other volumes were published as they were completed over time. English translations by William Bradshaw became available in 1687. Later volumes issued first in English in London leading some to believe they were not by Marana. However, the consistency in style and use of words really points to Marana as being the author of the full set, not doubt with the help of translators and editors of the day.

Well liked by Daniel Defoe who wrote an aptly named “Continuation of Turkish Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy in Paris” … a sort of 18thC sequel.

Incidentally, the last owner Professor Kenny used to gauge his candidates by seeing how nice they were to his cat Fufu … it became known as the Fufu test … that’s Latin for you.

The Turkish Spy – A Classic By Marana

$790.00

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Relics for the Curious – Two Volumes – 1824

First Edition set near impossible to find. Printed by Samuel Burton Leadenhall Street, London in 1824.

Two small volumes, 184 pages, 168 pages, frontispiece to both. Bound in contemporary olive half calf, spines gilt with double red leather labels. Lightly rubbed a pretty clean and bright set.

A collection of most peculiar anecdotes. The Literary Magnet of the time praised the contents and demonstrated their approbation of them by making copious extracts available in their rag.

Classifies as anecdotes, clerical, professional and miscellaneous and compounded by “singular customs” and “extracts from remarkable wills”.

Very unusual books for the well read and broadly based historian … facts contained in here designed to liven any dull dinner party … “Did you know that …”

Relics … well anecdotes really of some strange historical happenings.

$180.00

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A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

An extremely rare work from a period when mining expertise was as much a military endeavour as for the extraction of resources.

Lengthy title continues … extracted from the Memoires d’Artilliere. To which is prefixed, by way of Introduction, Professor Belidor’s Dissertation on the Force and Physical Effects of Gunpowder. Illustrated by a Variety of Copper Plates.

A first English language edition of this work translated and compiled by mining engineer Henry Manningham. The original French by P Surirey de Saint Remy (1660-1716). Benard Forest de Belidor (1698-1761) was a hydraulics and ballistics expert. Born into a military family he later became Professor of Artillery at Aisne. He became an early expert on the calculus and its use in solving technical problems.

Published by Millar, the Strand, London 1756. Octavo, xxix,168 pages with 21 folding copper engraved plates, elaborate engraved vignette on Dedication. Ex John Crerar Library with the odd stamp, later half leather binding somewhat worn, top edge gilt. Toned and pages a bit brittle still a useful copy of an extremely scarce item.

Early Mining and the Use of Gunpowder Carefully Explained.

$390.00

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The Peculiar Use and Signification of Certain Words in the Latin Tongue: or, a Collection of Observations, wherein the Elegant, and Commonly Unobserv’d Sense of very near Nine Hundred Common Latin Words. William Willymott – 1713

A scholarly book from the early eighteenth century. One that will give any reader a leg forward in the intellectual stakes.

Published by R Bonwick printed at the Cambridge University Press in 1713. A second edition. Scarce.

Octavo, 4, 374 pages bound in original full panelled calf, spine with raised bands, losses to ends, joints tender. Some long gone worming to the margin of a few of the last leaves, otherwise a pretty good proper antiquarian copy.

We have no date of birth but William Willymott died in 1737. He was born at Royston, Cambridgeshire and educated at Eton and then Kings College, Cambridge were he graduated B.A. M.A. L.L.D. by 1707. He was made a Fellow. He became an usher at Eton and then founder pf Isleworth Private School. He was suspected as having an attachment to the Pretender which hampered his career. He considered law but changed his mind and took orders … living at the Rectory Milton near Cambridge. He died at the Swan Inn at Bedford … not a bad pub.

Overcome your Latin deficiencies with Willymott – 1713

$120.00

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Cromwell – English Civil War – Sarcastic Notices of the Long Parliament – Editor J.C. Hotten [1863 re 1660]

Title continues … A List of the Members that Held Places, both Civil and Military … with the Sums of Money and Lands which they Divided among Themselves.

A Victorian facsimile, published 1863, of a nigh impossible to get 17th Century account.

A first of type. Bound in original salmon cloth covered boards, very clean copy internally, a small dint to the board front edge and sun effect to lower rear board … despite that a very good copy. Very clean internally printed on top class paper for the esteemed Chiswick Press.

Small quarto, 49 pages plus adverts of interest regarding other classic references.

The original accounts were titled “Mystery of the Good Old Cause’ of 1660, a satire on the Long Parliamentarians ‘self denying’ act, essentially a biographical catalogue of Parliamentarian collaborators. The Editor remarks … “Only a very few copies of the present work have been reprinted”.

Having carried out research at Voyager, we cannot sensibly estimate the print run, but can say that few copies exist anywhere. We are also intrigued by the family names that seem to have benefited from the goings on … many still seem to be at the top of the money pile today.

For those not informed the Long Parliament was … well long … 1640-1660. It followed the Short Parliament, which last three weeks in the aforesaid 1640. That in turn followed 11 years without a Parliament, Changing times.

The reality of English 17th Century – Greed but with Control … super record of goings on among the well healed of the day

$190.00

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Early Manuscript – Harpsichord or Piano Arrangement of Hayden’s Seven Last Words from the Cross 1808/9

Letters writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscovered at Paris; Giving an Impartial Account to the Divan of Constantinople of the Most Remarkable Transactions in Europe – Complete in Eight Volumes. Giovanni Paolo Marana – 1748

Relics for the Curious – Two Volumes – 1824

A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

The Peculiar Use and Signification of Certain Words in the Latin Tongue: or, a Collection of Observations, wherein the Elegant, and Commonly Unobserv’d Sense of very near Nine Hundred Common Latin Words. William Willymott – 1713

Cromwell – English Civil War – Sarcastic Notices of the Long Parliament – Editor J.C. Hotten [1863 re 1660]

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