[COURTESAN].
Les confessions d’une courtisane devenue philosophe.
Londres et Bruxelles, Le Francq, 1784.
12mo, pp. [viii], 132; aside from very occasional light spotting, clean and crisp throughout; uncut in contemporary orange wrappers, handwritten paper label at head of spine; some light wear, but still a lovely copy.
First edition (another appeared in the same year with a “Londres et se trouve à Paris” imprint) of this anonymous novel describing the ascent (or perhaps descent) of a courtesan into the world of the philosophe; naturally, she is of good family but is driven to be a courtesan by love, before reflections on morals and manners, and a love of truth and candour, lead her back to a more sedate and contemplative life. Some of our heroine’s contemplations are articulated in the second part, where she reflects on female ornament, friendship, the seductive qualities of science and the arts, natural law, the crime of adultery, and the state in which illegitimate children find themselves. Despite her doubtless busy schedule, our narrator has found the time to read Montesquieu and Puffendorf.
Gay I 659.
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HEBRIDAL SMELT YARRELL, William.
A History of British Fishes … illustrated by nearly 400 Woodcuts. London, Samuel Bentley for John van Voorst, 1836. [Bound with:]YARRELL, William. Supplement to the History of British Fishes … illustrated with Woodcuts, in two Parts. London, Samuel Bentley for John van Voorst, 1839. [and:] BELL, Thomas. A History of British Reptiles … illustrated by more than forty Woodcuts.
First collected editions, with an autograph letter on the Hebridal smelt from the species’ discoverer. Published serially from 1835 to 1836, Yarrell’s History of British Fishes was reprinted within a year, and followed soon after by Thomas Bell’s British Reptiles in 1839 and his own British Birds in 1843 published by van Voorst and together forming a comprehensive survey of British wildlife. Though noted for his careful observations, Yarrell is here corrected on several points in an autograph letter to the antiquarian Adam Sim (1805–1868) from William Euing (1788–1874), who had discovered the Hebridal smelt (first included in the Supplement) in November 1837.
Despite this contribution to Scottish ichthyology, Euing, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and President of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, is best remembered for his fine library, of which some twelve thousand volumes now belong to Glasgow University.
[SCOTLAND.]
Seventeen pamphlets relating mostly to legal cases in Scotland.
An interesting sammelband relating largely to Scottish legal cases, containing 12 items unrecorded on ESTC, COPAC and OCLC. The cases include those of a Kilbagie distiller convicted of bribery; of Sir William Erskine of Torrie against a London banking house; of a St Andrews minister convicted of perjury; of a forged bill presented at the counting house of Sir William Forbes; and of an Aberdeen-based troupe of musicians.
Contents:
1. [BREBNER, John.] Information for John Brebner late merchant of Halifax, now residing in Aberdeen, defender and pursuer, against William Sibbald merchant in Leith, pursuer and defender. Lord Hailes Reporter. [Edinburgh], 12 July 1785.
pp. 33, [1], 16; side notes slightly trimmed, short closed tear to last leaf (without loss), last page dusty. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC. The defendant claiming to have been duped in business conducted in North America and the West Indies.
2. [STEIN, James.] George, &c. Forasmuchas it is humbly meaned and complained unto us, by our right trusty Ilay Campbell, Esq; our advocate for our interest, upon James Stein distiller at Kilbagie ... that whereas, by the laws of this realm, bribery and corruption, especially when practiced by a distiller ... [Edinburgh, 1785].
pp. 8. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC. Stein found guilty of attempted bribery.
3. [STEIN, James.] Information for Ilay Campbell, Esq; his majesty’s advocate of Scotland against James Stein distiller at Kilbagie. [Edinburgh], 23 September 1786.
pp. 16. Not on ESTC; 1 copy on OCLC (BL).
4. [STEIN, James.] Clauses in the statutes referred to in the information for James Stein, under the different heads bribery, forgery, and perjury. [Edinburgh, 1786].
pp. 15, [1 blank]. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
5. [STEIN, James.] Information for James Stein, distiller at Kilbeggie; against Ilay Campbell, Esq; his majesty’s advocate of Scotland. [Edinburgh], 31 October 1786.
pp. [2], 33, [1 blank]; small stain to title, small loss to blank margin of F1. Not on ESTC; 1 copy on OCLC (BL).
6. [ERSKINE, William.] Information for Robert, Henry, George, and Andrew-Berkley Drummond, bankers in London, defenders; against Sir William Erskine, and others, creditors of Hugh and Archibald Seton, pursuers. To be reported to Lord Swinton. [Edinburgh], 20 April 1787.
pp. 29, [1 blank]; small closed marginal tear to D1. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
7. [ERSKINE, William.] Information for Sir William Erskine of Torry, and for the other creditors of Hugh Seton of Touch, Esq; and of Archibald Seton, Esq; his eldest son, pursuers; against Hugh Powel ... and Robert, Henry, George and Andrew-Berkley Drummond ... London, bankers, defenders. To be reported by Lord Swinton. [Edinburgh], 20 April 1787.
pp. 39, [1 blank]. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
8. [ERSKINE, William.] Report and exhibits in the process Sir William Erskine, &c. against Robert, Henry, &c. Drummonds, Esqrs. [Edinburgh, 1787].
pp. [2], 75, [1 blank]; last page dusty. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
9. [LESLIE, William.] Criminal letters, against the reverend Mr William Leslie. [Edinburgh, 1787].
pp. 8; first page dusty. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC. Leslie was found guilty of perjury.
10. [LESLIE, William.] Information for the rev. Mr William Leslie, minister of the parish of St Andrews and Longbride, pannel; against Alexander Penrose-Cumming of Altyre, Esq; with concourse of his majesty’s advocate, prosecutor. [Edinburgh], 15 January 1787.
pp. 28; light spotting. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
11. [GRAHAM, Mary.] June 12, 1772. Unto the right honourable the Lords of Council and Session, the petition of Mary Graham, relict of John Grinlay, and John Graham of Redfoord, her nephew. [Edinburgh], 12 June 1772.
pp. 8; imperfect, wanting part of leaf B2 and text thereafter; dusty. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
12. [FORBES, William.] Unto the right honourable, the Lords of Council and Session, the petition of Sir William Forbes, James Hunter, and Company, bankers in Edinburgh. [Edinburgh], 29 February 1788.
pp. 21, [1 blank]. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
13. [BRIERLY, Joseph.] Memorial for Joseph Brierly and George-Stevens Sutherland, musicians, suspenders; against George Forbes, procurator-fiscal of the borough of Aberdeen, charger. Bill of suspension. Lord Henderland reporter. [Edinburgh], 8 March 1787.
pp. 12, 6. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
14. [FRASER, Alexander.] Articles and conditions relative to the tacks of Alexander Fraser, Esq; of Strichen. [Aberdeen?, 1781?].
pp. 14. ESTC, COPAC and OCLC show 1 copy only, at Aberdeen University.
15. [DOCKYARDS.] Copy of a letter from the right honourable Lord Sydney ... to his grace the Duke of Richmond ... appointing his grace president of the board of land and sea officers for investigating ... his majesty’s dock yards at Portsmouth and Plymouth ... [London], 1786.
pp. 19, [1 blank]; pages folded to fit in volume. ESTC T128818 (5 copies).
16. [DOCKYARDS.] Copy of an estimate of the expense of fortifying his majesty’s dock yards at Portsmouth and Plymouth, by the committee of engineers at the Tower ... [London], 1786.
pp. 6, [2]; pages folded to fit in volume. Not on ESTC, COPAC or OCLC.
17. Case of the dean and faculty of advocates, clerks to his majesty’s signet, and other members of the College of Justice, in Scotland. [Edinburgh], 1786.
pp. 4. Not on ESTC; OCLC shows 1 copy at the University of California.