[Rarebooks] FS: Kenelm Digby's "Two Treatises" London: 1665 with the very rare portrait.

[Kenneth Karmiole]

Digby, Kenelm. TWO TREATISES: In the One of Which, the Nature of Bodies; In the Other, the Nature of Mans Soule Is Looked Into: In Way of Discovery of the Immortality of Reasonable Souls... London: Printed for John Williams. 1665. 4to. 2 parts in 1, each with a title page (the second dated 1645). (56),312,301-429,(1);(10),136,139-143,(1),p.144,(1)pp. Complete as published. With the very rare engraved frontispiece portrait of Digby (see below). Text with some woodcut diagrams. Bound in orig. full calf, both covers with the gilt arms of William Douglas (1637-1695), a key figure in Scottish/English history in the 17th century, who had a notable book collection. Extremities a bit rubbed. Outer blank margin of the portrait with neat repair. A very attractive copy.    $1,500.00 (trade discount allowed)
This is the 4th edition, the 3rd to be printed in England (the 1st edition of 1644 was published in Paris) of Digby's landmark work in science. The three English editions, 1645, 1658, and 1665, were all published by John Williams in quarto. The 1645 edition contains the first engraved portrait of Digby, but the portrait very seldom appears. Some copies (very few) of the 1658 and 1665 editions are also found with the same portrait. A check of auction records regularly indicates "lacking portrait." 
Our copy is the variant with an added quire (4 leaves) in the preliminaries titled "To Sir Kenelm Digby upon his two incomparable treatises of philosophy" and signed "John Sergeant." Wing D1451. Rubin, SIR KENELM DIGBY #26 (Reproduction of the portrait on p. 16).

Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, Inc.
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