antiquarian bookseller - Peter Harrington

Peter Harrington Antiquarian Bookseller
304.HEYLYN, Peter.
Cosmography, in Four Books,
containing the Chorography and
History of the Whole World: and all
the Principal Kingdoms, Provinces,
Seas and Isles thereof. With an
Accurate and an Approved Index
of all the Kingdoms, Provinces,
Countries, Inhabitants, People,
Cities, Mountains… Much wanted
and desired in the former, and now
annexed to this Last Impression,
Revised and Corrected by the
Author himself immediately before
his Death.
London: for P[hilip] C[hetwynde], T. Passenger, B. Tooke and T.
Sawbridge, 1682 [17764] £3500
4 volumes in one, folio (360 × 235mm). Engraved title and 4
large folding maps, Imprimatur leaf repaired at inner margin
with slight loss of text on 5 lines. Slight foxing throughout, a
good copy in contemporary calf, rubbed and scored in places,
rebacked with the original label laid down.
Sixth Edition, complete with Imprimatur leaf at the front.
Heylyn’s Cosmographie first appeared in 1652, and was
sufficiently well regarded that the council of state saw fit
to obtain a copy for their better instruction. The book has
great value for the history of California which is described
in book IV. The folding map of the western hemisphere by
Henry Seile, reissued by his widow Anna, is of the Goos
type, based on the 1627 Speed map, with the addition
of Drake’s “Nova Albion” on the northern part of the
“Island” of California. It has been described as “one of the
most important English maps of the second half of the
17th century.” Here it is credited to Anna Seile, engraved
by Robert Vaughan and dated 1663, the map of Asia is
similarly ascribed but the engraver given as John Goddard.
The other two maps are for Chetwynde and dated 1666,
that of Africa engraved by William Trevethen.
Sabin 31655: Wing H1696.
305.JAMES, William.
The Naval History of Great Britain,
From the Declaration of War by
France in 1793, to the Accession
of George IV. A New Edition, with
Additions and Notes, bringing the
Work down to 1827.
London, Richard Bentley & Son, 1886 [39242] £1250
6 volumes, 8vo (188 × 125 mm). Contemporary black half calf
on matching pebble-grained boards, a little rubbed and neatly
rebacked, titles gilt to spines. Engraved portrait frontispiece to
each and 5 other portraits, numerous diagrams to the text,
folding tables. Light browning, otherwise very good in a
simple and entirely usable binding.
James’s Naval History is “a monument of accuracy – it has
stood the test of time and remains the best account of
the naval side of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars”
(Kemp, The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea, p. 425).
First conceived of when James was held prisoner in
America during the War of 1812 the Naval History is a
remarkable work. Working under the motto “Verité sans
Peur”, James set himself standards of inclusiveness and
accuracy extraordinary for the 19th century. His aim was
to compile “an exact account of every operation of naval
war during the period named. He consulted not only
published works, especially the official narratives, both
British and French, but also the logs of the ships, and,
whenever possible, the participants themselves” (ODNB).
This is arguably the best edition, accompanied as it is
by the specially prepared Index to James’ Naval History,
Edition 1886, compiled by C.G. Toogood and T.A. Brassey,
published by the Navy Records Society in 1895; here very
good in the publisher’s dark blue and white buckram,
gilt, a little soiled. Successively mined by Forester and
O’Brian for incident and colour, this well-written history
is not only essential reference for the period, but makes
excellent reading.
NMM, V, 2158.
306.JENKINS, James.
The Naval Achievements of Great
Britain. From the Year 1793 to 1817.
London, for J. Jenkins, [not before 1833] [25503] £12,500
Folio (351 × 285 mm). Finely bound in full blue crushed
morocco by the Chelsea Bindery, covers with gilt panelled
border, anchors in corners, spine with 5 raised bands, lettered
gilt in second compartment, others ruled around in gilt and
Catalogue 57: Travel Section 7: Mapping, Navigation and Naval History
with central naval ornaments gilt, turn-ins ruled and bordered
in gilt, purple watered silk doublures and endpapers, top edge
gilt. Housed in matching slipcase. With 55 hand-coloured
aquatints of naval battles and ships on Whatman paper, 1
uncoloured plate, plan of the Bombardment of Algiers and
plan of the Battle of Trafalgar, hand-coloured title vignette.
Excellent condition, with the plates in good impressions and
skilfully coloured.
FIRST EDITION. This magnificent publication, illustrating
the high-water mark of Britain’s maritime hegemony, was
disappointingly slow to sell on its first issue in 1817 and
Jenkins chose to issue copies as demand necessitated. The
plates in this copy are variously watermarked, the latest
dated 1833. The book was reprinted as late as 1840, copies
having been seen with watermarks of the date. The very
earliest issues can be identified by the title-page vignette
remaining uncoloured; otherwise, the key consideration
for collectors is the quality of the colouring, which is
excellent in the present copy.
156 157
Abbey, Life 337.