Month: November 2015

July 19, 2011

PRINTED 1658: EXTREMELY RARE MINISCULE “PEARL BIBLE”

PRINTED 1658: A REMARKABLE “PEARL BIBLE” KNOWN FOR ITS MINISCULE TYPE

EXTREMELY RARE IN GOOD CONDITION

THE ONLY BIBLE ISSUED UNDER CROMWELL’S ORDER FOR DISTRIBUTION TO HIS SOLDIERS

The Holy Bible : containing the Old Testament and the New newly translated out of the originall tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesties speciall command. London : printed by John Field one of His Highness’s printers, 1658. 2 vols in 1 (O.T. and N.T) bound with… [Church of Scotland. General Assembly.] Psalms of David in meeter. Newly translated, and diligently compared with the original text, and former translations : More plain, smooth, and agreeable to the text, then any heretofore. Edinburgh, : Printed by A.A. for James Miller, and are to be sold at his shop, in the Cow-gate, on the east side of the Colledge-Wynd, at the sign of St. John the Divine., 1670. 24 mo., only 10.5 cm x 6.5 cm., COMPLETE. T.p., slighty soiled with handsome London engraving, some minor browning, N.T. title page with old rebacking but no loss. Handsome early binding with “W.B.” initials in gilt, possibly a Scottish binding due to the Edinburgh printed Psalms or possibly a Dutch fish-skin styled binding. Provenance: Allard, Joachim (1838-1917), missionary and cleric, “born in 1838 in St. Joachim de Chateauguay, Quebec. He studied in Montreal and entered St. Sulpice seminary in 1862. He was ordained in 1865, and followed Archbishop Tache into the Northwest. He joined the Oblates in St. Boniface in Manitoba, and studied Cree and Ojibwa. He was the first missionary in Fort Alexander in 1876. ”

This remarkable and beautiful bible, is known as the “Pearl Bible,” from the miniscule type with which it was printed. Most 19th century bibliographers cite it as extremely rare in good condition and the copy for sale here is a handsome and complete example. Rev. Allard who owned the Bible cites Graesse on the flyleaf as stating that “on la trouve rarement intacte.” Lowndes cites the Williams’s and Roxburghe catalogues and reiterates “One of the most correct and beautiful editions of the Bible, seldom found in good preservation. Williams, 199,. in fish-skin, 11. 16».; Roxburghe 17, SI. 17*.” Additionally the Bible received mention in D’ Israeli’s Curiosities of Literature (d’Israeli, Curios. of Lit. Vol. III. p.-388.) It appears that Lowndes overlooked many of the errors found in the text, and others describe the work as a bibliographical curiosity and, in fact, as one of the most incorrect versions, even giving it the appellation of “Bastard’s Field Bible”

It is interesting to note that the Williams catalog calls attention to a “Fish-skin” binding. While there have been fish-skin bindings, this more probably refers to the slightly unusual fish-skin styled grain of the morocco as in the present example. There is some supposition that the edition is in fact a counterfeit one, made in Holland for the English market, but this appears inconclusive. Additionally some references point out without clear proof, that the Pearl Bible was intended for the Commonwealth Army and Navy as a pocket Bible and that it was the only Bible printed under Cromwell’s clear order for such distribution.

For price comparison only, a similar copy in a “Scottish binding,” though listed as imperfect (w.a.f) sold for $325 almost 30 years ago. See: Bible in English – [Bible]. L: John Field, 1658 – Bound in 2 vols. 24mo, – 18th-cent mor Scottish bdg. ;- Sold w.a.f – Christie’s, May 19, 1982, lot 148A, £180 ($325.80), Maggs – Herbert 664

posted in: Rare Books

July 19, 2011

PRINTED 1700: EXTREMELY RARE AND IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF CHINESE TRACTS

 

DIRECTLY LED TO THE END OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA

A FUNDAMENTAL WORK OF COMPARATIVE RELIGION

NO COPIES IN 30 YEARS OF AMERICAN AUCTION RECORDS

4 VOLS in 1; Vol 2 with all six parts- COMPLETE

VOL I [Noël Alexandre] Conformité des Ceremonies Chinoises avec l’idolatrie Grecque et Romaine pour servir de confirmation à l’Apologie des Dominicains Missionnaires de la Chine. A Cologne : Chez les heritiers de Corneille d’Egmond, 1700 with the 1 leaf Censura Sacræ Facultatis Theologiæ Parisiensis granting printing permission. [Likely, the Cologne imprint is fictitious, and it is more reasonably a  Paris or Amsterdam imprint similar to the contemporary Jesuit publications of Jesuits Michel le Tellier and Charles le Gobien.]  BOUND WITH… VOL II (containing all six parts):  Lettre d’un docteur de l’ordre de S. Dominique (le P. Noël Alexandre) sur les cérémonies de la Chine, au R.P. Lecomte, de la Compagnie de Jésus, confesseur de Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne : [suivi de] ; Lettre de messieurs des missions étrangères au Pape, sur les idôlatries et les superstitions chinoises : [suivi de] ; II. Lettre d’un docteur de l’ordre de Saint Dominique sur les cérémonies de la Chine, au Révérend Père Dez, provincial des jésuites : [suivi de] ; III. Lettre d’un docteur de l’ordre de St. Dominique au R.P. Le Comte, confesseur de Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne, sur son système de l’ancienne religion de la Chine : [suivi de] ;  III. Lettre d’un docteur de l’ordre de St. Dominique au R.P. Lecomte, confesseur de Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne sur son système de l’ancienne religion de la Chine : [suivi de] ; IV. Lettre d’un docteur en théologie de l’ordre de Saint Dominique sur l’idôlatrie et les superstitions de la Chine, au révérend Père Dez, provincial des jésuites : [suivi de] ; 6 ; V. Lettre d’un docteur en théologie de l’ordre de Saint Dominique sur l’idôlatrie et les superstitions de la Chine au révérend Père Dez, provincial des jésuites : [suivi de] ; VI. Lettre d’un docteur en théologie de l’ordre de SAint Dominique sur l’idôlatrie et les superstitions de la Chine au révérend père Dez, provincial des jésuites  BOUND WITH… VOL III:  La bonne foy des anciens jesuites missionaires de la Chine sur l’idolatrie des chinois dans le culte qu’ils rendent à Confucius & aux morts : demontrée par des extraits fidéles des livres des RR. peres Athanase Kirchere, Nicolas Trigaut, Alexandre de Rhodes & autre, envoyés à un ami avec quelques reflexiones sur les nouveaux sentimens des RR. PP. Jesuites. [S.l. : s.n., 1700?, presumed  C. d’Egmont ] BOUND WITH… VOL IV: [Noël Alexandre]  Lettre d’une personne de pieté, Sur un Ecrit des Jesuites contre la Censure de quelques propositions de leurs PP. le comte, le Gobien, etc. touchant la Religion et le cults des Chinois, faite par la Faculté de Théologie de Paris. Cologne : C. d’Egmont, 1701.   The Binding:  8 vo.,  16 cm., contemporary French calf, raised bands and gilt, some rubbing to hinges, slight wear to head and foot of spine; interally, some browning, but generally an attractive copy.  EXTREMELY RARE.  No copies appearing of the fundamental work in the ABPC database for over 30 years. [SOLD]

This is a fascinating, very important, and extremely rare collection of tracts.  Written by the Dominican Noël Alexandre, it was the “last major salvo” in the famous Chinese rites controversy concerning the evangelization of China.  It was highly influential in the final decision of the Pope Clement XI, who made the assessment that Confucian rituals were indeed in conflict with Christian teaching.  This in turn led the Kangxi emperor, professing disgust at the ignorance of the Europeans, to ban Christian missions in China, a situation not rectified until 1939.   Additionally, the first work present here, the Conformités des cérémonies chinoises avec l’idolatrie grecque et romaine and Sept lettres sur les cérémonies de la Chine, is considered a pioneering work in the study of comparative religion, through its analysis and comparison of Chinese ceremonies to those pagan rituals of the Greeks and Romans.

The copy at Stanford University, which conforms with the present copy, has been digitally reproduced by Octavo books as one of the world’s great books on their “Rare Book Room” Site.

There is also a fascinating description of the present work:
See:   http://www.rarebookroom.org/pdfDescriptions/alecon.pdf
http://www.rarebookroom.org/Control/alecon/index.html

 

 

 

posted in: Rare Books

July 19, 2011

DATED 1676: IMPORTANT 17th CENTURY AMERICAN DEED

WITH THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE SURVIVING SEAL OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

Indian holding an arrow pointed down in a gesture of peace, with the words “Come over and help us”

 

[Americana] [Manuscript]  Massachusetts Bay Colony Deed on paper, dated 28 year of the reign of Lord King Charles Second the 8th of November 1676.  In Frame approx. 85 x 70 cm., out of frame 59 x 45.  Will only be shipped in frame (i.e. not rolled). Retaining the extremely rare Indian seal intact of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and SIGNED by John Leverett as governor. Provenance: Full Provenance back to the Heath and Williams  families  (who came to America in the early 1600s) provided to purchaser incl. Maj General William Heath, the famous major general in the Continental Army.  Condition as depicted.  [SOLD]

Regarding the value of this deed, I can locate no records in  30 years of the ABPC auction records,  30 + years of the records in Americana Exchange, or Heritage Auctions complete archives for a Mass. Bay Colony document that has retained the famous seal.

John Leverett was an English colonial magistrate, merchant, soldier and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  See his full biography on Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Leverett

The Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony:

In 1629, King Charles I granted a charter to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which included the authority to use a seal. It featured an Indian holding an arrow pointed down in a gesture of peace, with the words “Come over and help us,” emphasizing the missionary and commercial intentions of the original colonists. This seal was used until 1686, shortly after the charter was annulled, and again from 1689-1692. “[Ref: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/presea/sealhis.htm]

“The Indian’s inferiority is demonstrated by his lack of clothing: He is wearing nothing but a loincloth made of leaves, not unlike the wardrobe Adam and Eve were supposed to have put together after eating the apple, a biblical reference that would not have been lost on a Puritan viewer. He is shown as living in a state of almost unadulterated nature, with no housing or society depicted. There are only a couple of trees, a bow, and an arrow, implying that whatever society the eastern Indians had developed revolved around warfare. The irony of the seal is that, in fact, the English settlers generally had no interest in helping the Indians and the Indians did not want English “help.” Of course, the Indians were not in a position to impede the English settlers from achieving their vision of settling America and, as a result, the English helped themselves to the land, usually at the expense of the native tribes.  ” [Ref: http://www.irwinator.com/126/wdoc36.htm]


 

posted in: Uncategorized

July 19, 2011

PRINTED 1522-1524: EXTREMELY RARE EDITIONS OF THE GREAT LATIN REFERENCE WORKS OF Johannes Despauterius

A MAGNIFICENT ZOOMORPHIC GOTHIC BINDING WITH MONKEYS AND DRAGONS

WORLDCAT CITES NO COPIES OF THE FIRST BOOK AND ONLY THE HARVARD COPY OF THE SECOND

 

[Johannes de Spauter; Josse Badius] Prima pars grammaticae Joannis Despauterij Niniuite diligentius ab Ascensio recognita et impressa …[Paris] : Aera merent Badiotersa, aucta, impressa per ipsum, 1524.  124, [2] lvs. small 4to., 20 cm.  COMPLETE… Bound with..   Syntaxis Joannis Despauterii niniuitae tertio edita: in qua per quaestiones & rationes citra sophistarũ nugas distinctissime & facillime omnia digeruntur. [Parisiis] Aera meret Badio nomenq[ue] decusq[ue] parenti. Anno. 1522.  Colophon: Lutetiae ad eid. octob. anni MDXXII, typis & accuratione Iod. Badij Ascensij. Printer’s mark on t..p. 144 lvs. COMPLETE. Occasional light browning, foxing, or staining, primarily prelim. and last leaves as usual, sympathetic re-backing as depicted and later endpapers.  Generally, a VERY GOOD COPY.   EXCEEDINGLY RARE. Worldcat cites NO COPIES of the first 1524 work in Institutional collections; only an undated (presumed 1524 ed) of Jean Petit at Cambridge. Similarly Worldcat only cites Harvard as having a copy of the 1522 edition here, although there are other known Petit editions and Badius Ascensius and Jean  Petit were collaborators and often joint publishers.

 

“Jan de Spauter (Ninove, c. 1480 – Komen, 1520) was a prominent Flemish humanist. His name was Latinized to Johannes Despauterius as was common in the Middle Ages. At the age of 18 Despauterius went to the humanistic college De Lelie in Leuven where he studied for three years. In Leuven he became a Master in the Arts, which meant he had studied and mastered Latin grammar, rhetorica, dialectica, musica, arithmica, geometrica and astronomica. After his studies he starts teaching. After several years teaching, Despauterius published books with regards to Latin grammar (Syntaxis, Ars versificatoria, Grammatica pars prima and Ortographia), which became the standard works of reference for the study of Latin for the next centuries in Western Europe. ” [Wikipedia]

 

posted in: Rare Books