Notable Works Subject Guide
The Fortunate Mistress [PR3403 .F6 1924]
By Daniel Defoe
First edition of the version including an introduction by Willa Cather (also included in that finding aid)
Our copy is in excellent condition comparably with other copies available
Peter Pindar’s Works [PR3765 .W7 vol. 1 - 2]
The works of John Wolcot, pseudonym Peter Pindar
This is likely a series of copies from the printer G. Kearsley that were bound together in two volumes, perhaps in the 1790’s or early 1800’s (all of the works included appear to be from the 1780’s and 1790’s)
Eikon Basilike [DA400 .C49E32 1648c]
Likely actually compiled and published in 1649, this book is an edition of the notable work attributed to Charles I of England after his execution. The book as a whole had a significant effect on the reputation of the king after his execution, and throughout the beginnings of the Commonwealth, it was circulated.
Our edition is unusual, and as of yet, not found online as it appears. It does not include the famous frontispiece, though there appears to be some pages missing. The special book box may or may not have been originally part of the book, but I have not found any editions that mention a special book box. I am not entirely sure that the notations on the card catalog are correct because they mention two pages missing that aren’t applicable to the copy we have. Additionally, the catalog relies on a description by a historic scholar that might not apply to this edition. More research is definitely needed.
A Dictionary of the English Language [PE1620 .J6 1785 vol. 1-2]
By Samuel Johnson (we have a copy of his edition of Shakespeare as well, see Shakespeare finding aid)
Until the Oxford Dictionary was completed, Johnson’s dictionary was seen as the most important English dictionary. Etymology was largely unexplored at the time of this dictionary, and since the publication of the dictionary, it has been criticized and edited for better accuracy.
Our edition is the 6th edition of the dictionary. The spines of our editions have sustained damage, but the books are secure enough to be handled by researchers in general.
Annales Rerum Angelicarum … Elizabeth [DA350 .C1.65 1615]
The Annales of Queen Elizabeth by William Camden, the 1615 Latin first edition
The first part of the Annales, covering Elizabeth’s reign up until 1597, were published in the 1615 book (the second part published in 1617), though the writing was not continuous between the two parts. The Annales were some of the most influential works written on the history of the Elizabethan reign.
Folio edition of the book, bound in brown calfskin. In relatively good condition.
Additionally, it appears on the College Exposition Subject Guide.
Mundus subterraneus [Q155 .K6]
Scientific textbook detailing many aspects of geology (from the presence of fossils, volcanoes, and hot water underground) to experiments in chemistry and physics. There are several maps and diagrams, experimental proofs, and drawings ranging from insects to furnaces.
The book was written by Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit, and published in 1665. The book was written in two volumes (we have tome 1).
Matters include:
The unethical ways alchemists “create” gold.
The “tricks” of nature that are fossils.
Secret “oceanic movements” → among the first ever discussions of ocean currents.
Arguably, the first accurate account of igneous rock.
Supposedly identifies the source of the Nile as “the Mountains of the Moon” and locates the island of Atlantis
Kircher is sometimes considered the founder of Egyptology and was called the “Master of a Hundred Arts. He probably started the Hollow Earth Theory with this book. He was a prominent scholar in his time, but his works went unnoticed for a while until the twentieth century. Historians have been able to trace his influences through a variety of scientists, historians, and writers.
Gray’s Anatomy [QM28 .G7 1893]
The Birds of America [QL674 .A9.]
By J.J. Audubon
Our edition was published in 1946 and is thus a more modern reproduction of the prints. The Macmillan company is known for its quality, though, making this book valuable in terms of utilizing it for research.
Quarto-size pages.
Ivanhoe [PR5320 .I9. vol. 1-2]
By Walter Scott
First American edition published in 1820 in two volumes.
Anna Livia Plurabelle [PR6019 .O9A7 1930]
By James Joyce
This is a first edition of this fragment of Finnegan’s Wake published in London.
F880 .F28 1939 - The Oregon Trail: the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean [10L-2]
Done by the Federal Writers Project of the New Deal.
First edition was done through the Hastings House publication.
The Education of Henry Adams: An Autobiography [E175.5 .A172]
This book details the struggles of Henry Adams (1838-1918) to adjust to the turn of the century. Published in 1918, the book won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize and is considered an important work in American nonfiction literature.
This is a first edition.
Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy [JC143 .M1.6]
Initially published in 1531, this is one of the seminal works of Niccolo Machiavelli. It presents a series of lessons regarding how republics should be constructed and how they should function. Early ideas of “checks and balances” can be seen conceptualized in The Discourses.
Our edition has been translated from the original Italian into English and includes printed annotations in the margins. It was published in 1636 in London by Thomas Paine (no, not either of those Thomas Paines from America). This is likely a copy of the first edition of The Discourses published in English (date corresponds with first English translation, though it is not as fine a printing as some other copies).
Il Principe [JC143 .M1.7 1834]
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is often considered his most famous work (though many argue that had The Discourses been published during Machiavelli’s lifetime, they would have been regarded as superior).
Our edition is an 1834 Italian version that was printed in pocket size. It was published in Paris by Fratelli Bossange. There do not appear to be many copies of this particular edition available, as it is difficult to find any mention of it in research. However, Bossange published in Paris a few other works written by Machiavelli, so it seems likely that he would publish Il Principe as well.
The History of Don Quixote [PQ6329 .A2. n.d.]
By Miguel de Cervantes, translated and edited by F.W. Clark. An edited and illustrated version that includes a historical note about Cervantes’ life.
Our edition is heavily damaged, but it appears it was bound in calfskin originally with quarto size pages.
The Life and Exploits of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha [PQ6329 .A2. 1830 vol. 1-4]
Translated from the original Spanish by Charles Jarvis, esq. With an attached life of the author. Published in Philadelphia.
Faerie Queene with the Shepherd’s Calendar [PR2350 1611]
By Edmund Spencer.
Written initially as an allegory for the Court of Queen Elizabeth Tudor, this 1611 edition is the first folio edition in which both the Faerie Queene and the Shepherd’s Calendar were printed. Our copy is in incredibly good condition and is highly valuable.
Marino Faliero [PR4366 .A.1 1821 ]
By Lord Byron
A blank verse tragedy in five acts first published and performed (though Byron attempted to have the performance stopped) in 1821. Our edition is a first edition published by John Murray in London. Byron intended for this play to be read, not performed.
The Book of Los facsimile [PR4144 .B57 1795a]
By William Blake
The Book of Los, originally published in 1795, survives in only one physical copy. This facsimile was printed in 1976 in London and ran in a limited edition, establishing its own status as a rare book.
The Poets and Poetry of America [PS583 .C7. 1858]
By Rufus Wilmot Griswold
17th edition of the book, published in Philadelphia. Griswold was a notable editor and anthologist in America during the 1840’s and 1850’s. After being awarded an editor position over Edgar Allen Poe, the two formed a rivalry (despite this, Poe was featured in Griswold’s anthologies of poets of America).
In Darkest Africa [DT351 .S7.9 vol. 1-2]
By Sir Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Morton Stanley was the famous explorer who found Dr. David Livingstone. This is his account of the journey into central Africa. This was not the same journey in which he found Dr. Livingstone.
Publication year: 1890, making this set a First Edition
Paradise Lost [PR3560 1669]
By John Milton. Published in London. One of the six different issues of the first edition.
Paradise Lost was corrected six to seven times before it was officially published, but the pages got mixed up at the binders and thus there are six, possibly seven, variations of the first edition with varying typos. The only way to determine which issue we have is by the title page as many pages were switched around and a fifth issue may have the same paper type as a first issue.
Ours appears to be what is called the seventh issue (five and six are skipped in the traditional counting, so some sources may call the seventh and eighth issues the fifth or sixth issues, which our records appear to do by referring to ours as a “sixth stage” due to a handwritten note in the front of the book, which may indicate the number 5 or 6).
Church of England Book of Common Prayer [BX5145 .A4 1717a]
Binding: Dark green, gold gilt, good condition.
The Book of Common Prayer was issued by the Anglican church as a way to consolidate the religious practices of Protestants in England, especially under the threat of Spanish or French Catholicism. The book was essentially a guide for clergy and lay people for moving away from the traditional Catholic practices that many still participated in.
Turris Babel [DS56 K58 1679]
By Athanasius Kircher, S.J. (also noted on the Jesuits Subject Guide)
Though primarily about the history of the Tower of Babel, this book also details the history of ancient architecture beginning with the Seven Wonders of the World and including both major and minor architectural developments of the ancient world seen as relevant for the discussion of the Tower of Babel by Kircher. This volume serves as another demonstration of the vast knowledge possessed by Kircher.
History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark [F592.4 1814 vol. 1]
Published in 1814, making this a first edition.
The Pilgrim’s Progress [PR3330 .A1. n.d.]
By John Bunyan
Ours appears to have no publication date associated with it. My estimate due to illustrator and publisher is late 19th century, perhaps 1890’s.
Book of Kells [ND3359 .B7S8 1974]
Facsimile, first American edition. Includes a study of the manuscript by Henry Francoise
A Wrinkle in Time [PZ7 .L5.385Wr]
By Madeleine L’Engle
Autographed by the author, published in 1965 (first publication was in 1962, this appears to be an eleventh printing).
Le Opere di Dante [PQ4300 .A1 1921]
1921 facsimile of Dante’s Divine Comedy
The Iliad [PA4025 .A2P6 1771 vol. 1-5]
Translated by Alexander Pope. First edition of this translation.
The Odyssey [PA4025 .A5P6 1771 vol. 1-4]
Translated by Alexander Pope. First edition of this translation.
A True Discourse of the Present State of Virginia [F229 .H18 1615]
Our version of this work is a facsimile, limited to 200 copies, and presented in 1860 (possibly published then as well).
By Ralph Hamor, one of the original colonists of Virginia, who published this book in 1615 in London upon his return from the colony. Some of the earliest mentions of Pocahontas were included in this book.
The Dahlia [PZ5 .C6D2 1841]
By “a lady” and edited by Pamela Coleman.
Compiled for sale in the year 1841, this anthology contains European and American works of fiction from some later notable authors that are meant to provide guides for young American girls as they grow up. The themes addressed in the book are largely conservative, but some surprising themes, such as courage in the face of danger and the inclusion of later women’s rights author,s makes this anthology a surprising insight into the values promoted for young women in the 1840’s.
Fables, Ancient and Modern [PR3418 .F3 1700]
By John Dryden. For a period during the Reformation, Dryden was the most influential poe,t and the era is occasionally referred to as the “Age of Dryden.
Fables, Ancient and Modern is a translated work with poems by Homer and Ovid, among others, as well as some of Dryden’s own work. It was published in 1700 as a result of the loss of patronage from James II, and marks the point in Dryden’s career where he focused on translations to supplement his income on his own writings.
Poems on Several Occasions [PR3429 .D3]
By Stephen Duck. Duck (1705-1756) was a little-known poet who was associated with Joseph Spence (Professor of Poetry at Oxford and friend of Alexander Pope) and Queen Caroline of England (his patron). He grew up in a poor background and was known for his religious piety, for which he was admired perhaps more so than for his poetry.
Our edition of Poems is a 1736 first edition, to which Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift were subscribers. Interest in Duck’s poetry began to revive in the 1990s, making this book valuable to current literary scholarship.
The History of Tom Jones A Foundling [PR3454 .H7 1817]
By Henry Fielding (see Fielding also on Notable Authors). This was one of the earliest English prose examples of a novel, originally published in 1749. Fielding was a noted playwright and satirist of his time, and Tom Jones is considered a tremendous picaresque novel and important contribution to the literary world.
Our edition was published in 1817 in London.
De Optimo...Utopia [BQ6726 .U8 1750]
By Thomas More. Utopia was a major work in Early Modern England, with lasting repercussions on politics, literature, and history.
This edition, published in 1750 in Glasgow, Scotland, was published by the Foulis brothers (Robert and Andrew). The Foulis press was considered an excellent press for its time and published books in a variety of languages, including Latin and Greek.
We also have a 1903 English translation of Utopia, including the life of the author [BQ6726 .U8 1903 - 8U-3]
Idea principis christiano-politici symbolis [JC160 .S3. 1660]
By Diego de Saavedra Fajardo. Fajardo was a Spanish diplomat in the mid seventeenth century involved in some of the major events of the decline of Spain’s imperial power.
Idea principis was initially published in 1640 as an anti-Machiavellian work meant for the King of Spain’s son. The work was an emblematic book--a type of book that uses allegorical images and explanations, which was popular at the time of publication--to demonstrate how a Christian prince should behave. This 1660 edition was published in Latin in Paris, France.
De jure belli ac pacis [JX2093 .A1 1663]
By Hugo Grotius. Grotius was a Dutch Jurist in the seventeenth century whose works were the basis for international law and drew on theories of natural law. He was exiled to Paris for a period of time, where his most important works were written and published.
De jure concerns the legal status of war and is considered foundational for international law. It was heavily influenced by the Calvinist conflicts taking place in the Netherlands at the time, as well as the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants across Europe.
Our edition was published in 1663 in Amsterdam by Ioannem Blaev.
An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans called Africans [E449 .C532 1836]
By Lydia Maria Francis Child, notable abolitionist of the nineteenth century.
This was Child’s most famous and most important work, and was the first book by a white woman in support of the immediate emancipation of African American slaves without compensation for the slaveholders. Initially published in 1833, our edition is from 1836 (and is the same edition used by Project Gutenberg to digitize this book).
The Secret Teachings of All Ages [BF1411 .H34 1928]
By Manly Palmer Hall. Hall was a philosopher and lecturer in the twentieth century in America. This was his most popular publication, and we have a first edition from the subscriber’s version, which was the first version printed. The book was incredibly popular at the time and sold out very quickly.
It also appears this book’s copyright has not been renewed and thus the book is in public domain.
Memoirs of the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman [HQ1575 .G6G52 1798]
By William Godwin, husband of Mary Wollstonecraft.
These memoirs were published shortly after Wollstonecraft’s death in childbirth and were heavily influenced by Godwin’s grief and love for his wife. The first version of the memoirs was published by Joseph Johnson (a close friend of Wollstonecraft’s and her publisher) in January 1798 to heavy criticism. Godwin included explicit details concerning his wife’s love affairs, illegitimate child, and suicide attempts prior to their marriage. In some ways, he also asserted that his own publication of her unpublished works and the exposure of so many personal details were more important to her reputation as an author than anything she had actually written. The publication of the Memoirs was a scandal, forcing Godwin to revise a second edition for publication in the summer of 1798. The Memoirs still left lingering dislike for Mary Wollstonecraft, creating a setback in her literary following for some years.
A Cruising Voyage Round the World [G420 .R6]
By Woodes Rogers, a privateer for England and later governor of the Bahamas. Rogers was sued into bankruptcy by his crew and published this book to sustain himself.
A Cruising Voyage was very popular in its time due to the inclusion of the narrative of Alexander Selkirk, a castaway rescued by Rogers, whose story is believed to have inspired Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Our copy appears to be a first edition from 1712 [DOUBLE CHECK]
Holinshed’s Chronicles [DA130 .H3.72 1587 vol. 1-2 and DA130 .H7.4 vol. 1-6]
By Raphael Holinshed. Little is known about Holinshed himself, and he is most notable for this compilation of the histories of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
The first version of the Chronicles was published in 1577, with a second edition being published in 1587. This was the version that scholars believe Shakespeare utilized in the writing of his historical plays, and especially Macbeth. Scholarly comparisons between the 1577, the 1587, and Shakespeare’s works were started in 2009 and remain an ongoing project. The second version that we have, from 1807, is also considered valuable, as by this point in time the Chronicles were understood to be the histories used by Shakespeare, making the 1807 edition a valuable addition to literary scholarship at the time.
Correct Copies of the Two Protests Against the Bill to Repeal the American Stamp Act [E215.2 .G87 1766]
Issued by the House of Lords in the Parliament of Great Britain and published in Paris in 1766 (making this a first edition).
Practice of Architecture [NA2520 .B48 1833]
By Asher Benjamin, a notable architect of the antebellum period. His patterns were adopted from Federal construction style and Greek Revival, and most New England towns dating to the early nineteenth century are based on his designs.
Practice of Architecture is one of his many pattern books, though it goes into more detail than his earlier pattern books and discusses the use of cast iron, among other materials.
The Memoirs of Sir James Melville [DA785 .M53 1735]
By Sir James Melville (1535 - 1617), a Scottish diplomat to the court of Mary Queen of Scots. His memoirs are considered a valuable insight into the politics and thoughts of the time period, and were first discovered in 1660 at Edinburgh Castle. An 1827 version of the memoirs published from a second manuscript are considered a more scholarly version of the Memoirs, but previously published copies (such as this) are still considered valuable for historical insights.