[Rarebooks] fa: YOUNG GENTLEMAN'S ASTRONOMY AND DIALLING 1736

[Ardwight Chamberlain]

Listed now, auctions ending Sunday, October 12. More details and images can be found at the URL below or by searching under the seller name arch_in_la.

http://tinyurl.com/oaeylwk

Thanks again,
Ardwight Chamberlain
L.A.


Edward Wells: The Young Gentleman’s Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling, Containing such Elements of the said Arts or  Sciences, as are most useful and easy to be known. The Fourth Edition Revised and Corrected, with Additions. London: Printed for James, John, and Paul Knapton, at the Crown in Ludgate-Street, 1736. Recently rebound in quarter goatskin and marbled boards, gilt-lettered morocco spine label; 8vo (20 cm); [8], 148, [8], 86, [8], 54 pp.; woodcut initials, borders, head- and tail-pieces, plus 30 engraved plates, 9 of which are folding (complete). ESTC T111215.

With four-title pages in all: a general title-page and a separate title-page for each of the three parts, Astronomy, Chronology, and Dialling ("the Art of Shewing the Time of the Day by the Sun's Shade falling on some Surface, whether Plain or not Plain," i.e., sundials). A sampling of the chapter headings: Of the Copernican System in general; Phaenomena relating to the Moon; Of the Eclipses of the Sun and Moon; Phaenomena of the primary Planets, of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, as also of the secondary Planets, or the Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter; Of the Phaenomena of Comets; Description of the Celestial (and also Terrestrial) Globe; Of a Day, and the Parts of Time arising from a Day by Division, viz. Hours and Minutes; Of the several Characters of Time in general: and particularly of the Cycle of the Moon, and the Epacts; Of the Cycle of the Sunday-Letter, commonly called the Cycle of the Sun; Of the Method to find Easter-Day; Of Dialling in general; Of an Horizontal Dial; Of an Erect Direct South and North [or] East and West Dial; Of Drawing a Declining Dial; a Catalogue of the several Draughts of Dials, and of other Cutts, belonging to this Treatise; etc. Edward Wells (1667-1727), rector of Cotesbach and later of Bletchley, was an English divine, mathematician, and geographer, "esteemed one of the most accurate geographers of his time" (DNB). He also wrote The Young Gentleman's Arithmetick and Geometry as well as studies of the geography of the Old and New Testaments, and numerous theological works and translations.

Exposure to moisture has caused rippling/waviness to the text block, but only very limited damp-staining, and that relegated to the fore-edge margins of the first twenty leaves or so; soiling to the first title-page; otherwise the contents and plates are quite clean and bright, slightly toned at the edges; three or four leaves (formerly loose) with some wear and soiling to the edges; the whole recently and securely rebound in a handsome binding of goatskin and marbled boards. An uncommon work, especially so with all the plates present.