A RARE LITTLE ALMANAC

16. GOLDSMITH An Almanack for the Year of our Lord God, MDCCLXIV. Being Bissextile or LEAP-YEAR. Wherein are contain’d, NECESSARY RULES, and Useful Tables; With a new Alphabetical Chronology of remarkable Events; to which are now added, The proper Days and Hours for transferring Stocks and receiving Dividends; as also a List of Holidays kept at the public Offices. Calculated by John Goldsmith.

London: Printed by R. Hett, Junior, for the Company of Stationers 1764

10 blank leaves, title page, 24 printed leaves with 11 blanks interleaved and 6 further blank leaves at the end. Contemporary red morocco, decorative gilt-roll floral border to covers, spine decorated in gilt, silver clasps lacking hinged catches, all edges gilt, rubbing to corners. An attractive binding. Internally very good, with some soiling and cropping with slight loss of text. Handwritten notes on some of the blank pages.

The first blank leaf has a note about a legal agreement dated 1699 with the following two leaves containing a list of names and weights under the heading “Weighed at Swalarde (?) Aug 5 1763”. Here we learn that Lord Strathmore weighed 12st 4lb with Lady Strathmore coming in at 9st 4lb with Mr Lidden tipping the scales at an impressive 16st. 6lb. Sir Thomas Clavering is listed at 15st 12. The Claverings are a Durham family and only a few years after this Almanack he was elected MP for County Durham. The list of names and weights is a mystery unless the owner of this pretty little book ran a very upmarket chapter of Weight Watchers. Goldsmith’s first almanac appeared in 1663, this edition of 1764 appearing to be very rare with only the BL copy recorded in ESTC and Worldcat.

[3857]

£200

1782. AN ARRAY OF ALMANACKS IN A BEAUTIFUL BINDING

17. Various A Collection of Seven Almanacks for 1782

London: Printed for the Company of Stationers 1782

Seven almanacks for 1782 bound in one volume. 8vo. 165x90mm. Each alamanack has 48 pages. They are as follows:

1. The Celestial Atlas, or a new ephemeris by Robert White (ESTC T59986). 2. Vox Stellarum or a Loyal Almanack by Francis Moore (ESTC T16924). 3. Merlinus Liberatus by John Partridge (ESTC T17078). 4. The Gentleman’s Diary or the Mathematical Repository (ESTC T57503). 5. The Ladies’ Diary or Woman’s Almanack (ESTC T58286).

6. Speculum Anni or Season on the Seasons by Henry Season (ESTC N49012). 7 Old Poor Robin. An Almanack by Poor Robin, Knight of the Burnt-Islands (ESTC T17664). All are rare, ESTC recording less than nine of each save for The Ladies’ Diary of which sixteen are noted. Beautifully bound in contemporary red morocco with arabesques and floral and foliate motifs in gilt to upper and lower covers, framed by a gilt border in a Greek key design. Rebacked with original spine laid down, compartments decorated with flower and leaf motifs, second compartment lettered in gilt. All edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Ownership inscription of “Thomas Hill 1841”. Front free endpaper a little loose but otherwise internally in very good condition.

The idea of binding together a set of almanacs from the same year is a good one. Although they all contain the standard information one expects from an almanac - calendars, astrological and astronomical observations, they each have their own particular interests. Some contain mathematical problems and quizzes, some provide a list of Bishops and Judges while others offer religious reflections and historical notes. Last of all is Old Poor Robin who offers his readers “A Variety of Subjects...Part in Prose, Part in Verse, Part in Narrative, Part Contemplative, Part Serious. Part Comic for the Entertainment and Improvement of the human Mind and adapted to the meanest Capacity”. A fascinating little book in an attractive binding.

WHEN IS A COSWAY BINDING NOT A COSWAY BINDING?

18. CIBBER, Mr [Colley] She wou'd, and She wou'd not, or the Kind Imposter A Comedy As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane. By Her Majesties Servants.

London: Printed for William Turner 1703

First edition. 4to. (218x153mm). pp. [8], 74, [1, 1bl]. “Bound by Riviere & Son from designs by J.H.Stonehouse” stamped at foot of front turn in. Tan full morocco, upper cover decorated with lavish gilt frame at the centre of which is an art nouveau design. Below this frame is a smaller oblong panel with borders tooled in gilt, inside which is the title in gilt. Lower cover is simply decorated with a gilt double fillet with leaf motif cornerpieces. Spine with five raised bands, compartments richly decorated in gilt, second and third compartments lettered in gilt. Silk endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a slip case (also by Riviere) covered in dark green morocco. About two inches of this covering is missing from the top edge. The spine is lettered in gilt and indicates that this is a “Cosway Binding”. In fact, what has happened is that the “Cosway” portrait has been removed from the upper cover and replaced with the flowing art nouveau pattern. It is only on close inspection that one can see what has been done. It is all rather artful, very skilfully done and, depending on one’s view of Cosway Bindings, it might or might not be considered an improvement. An excellent binding and a real curiosity in superb condition. Internally in very good condition with occasional foxing and marking. With the final epilogue leaf. The printer’s ornament is three flowers, a variant having four. ESTC locates six copies in UK libraries and sixteen in the US.

[3948] £750