[Rarebooks] Offering for Sale: Thomas Taylor, ORPHEUS, 1st, 1787; OCELLUS LACANUS, 1st, 1831

[Michael John Thompson]

Offering:

TAYLOR, Thomas [translator].

THE MYSTICAL INITIATIONS; OR, HYMNS OF ORPHEUS. Translated from the 
Original Greek: With a Preliminary Dissertation on the Life and Theology of 
Orpheus. [bound with] CONCERNING THE BEAUTIFUL, Or, A Paraphrased 
Translation from the Greek of Plotinus, Ennead1, Book VI.

London: Printed for the author, and sold by T. Payne and Son.... 1787.

First editions of both works.Octavo, contemporary plain calf, the spine 
with raised bands and titled in compartments. 227 pp + 47 pp, two works 
bound in one.  The Orphic Hymns are a set of pre-classical poetic 
compositions, attributed to the hero Orpheus, himself the subject of a 
renowned myth. In reality, these poems were probably composed by several 
different poets. Reminiscent of the Rig-Veda, the Orphic Hymns contain a 
rich set of clues about prehistoric European mythology. In later editions 
these hymns are identified as being the Invocations which were used in the 
Eleusinian Mysteries. Thomas Taylor, a British neo-Platonist classicist, 
was considered a bit outside the pale by contemporary scholars, but was an 
influence on successive generations of occultists such as the Theosophists 
and the Golden Dawn. Two heraldic bookplates on front endpapers, Light 
general rubbing to leather and evidence of an early rebacking nicely done. 
 From the library of Dr. Charles Muses, author of occult and esoteric works 
& founder of the Jacob Boehme society, with his pencil notes rear endpapers 
and the last two blank leaves; as well as underlining and scholarly 
marginalia in pencil by him on perhaps 20 pages throughout the volume. A 
nice copy, overall, of a very rare book.

$850.00 US, terms as usual.


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TAYLOR, Thomas [translator]

OCELLUS LACANUS: On the Nature of the Universe; TAURUS, THE PLATONIC 
PHILOSOPHER: On The Eternity Of The World; JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS: Of The 
Themi Mundi; PROCLUS: Select Theorums On The Perpetuity Of Time. Translated 
by Thomas Taylor.

London: Printed for the Translator, and Sold by John Bohn, 
Henrietta-Street; Henry Bohn, York-Street; and Thomas Rodd, Great 
Newport-Street. 1831.

First edition. Octavo, contemporary half green morocco over marbled boards, 
the spine with raised bands and decorated gilt within compartments, gilt 
titles, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. Contains:  Ocellus Lucanus On 
the Nature of the Universe; Taurus, The Platonic Philosopher, On the 
Eternity of the World; Julius Firmicus Maternus of the Thema Mundi; In 
Which the Positions of the Stars at the Commencement of the Several Mundan 
Periods is Given; Select Theorems on the Perpeturity of Time, by Proclus. 
All are translated from the originals by Thomas Taylor. The introduction by 
Taylor states: "The tracts contained in this small volume will, I trust, be 
perused with considerable interest by every English reader who is a lover 
of ancient lore..." Ocellus Lucanus, a Pythagorean philosopher, was born in 
Lucania in the 5th century BC, and is thought to have been perhaps a pupil 
of Pythagoras himself. Some mild foxing to endleaves, binding with small 
stains and light general rubbing to hinges. From the library of Dr. Charles 
Muses, author of occult and esoteric works & founder of the Jacob Boehme 
society, with a few small notes on the rear endpaper by him in pen, and a 
few small marks by him to the text in pencil. A very good copy overall.

$450.00 US, terms as usual.


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