Colloquia, cum notis selectis variorum. Addito Indice novo

Description

~1st edn thus (5th rev edn, 1st impr). Early binding in half vellum, grey paper to boards. Raised bands and green gilt label to spine. 8vo (12.9 x 20cm). Moderate soiling to boards. Hinges sound. Marbled endpapers in French Curl pattern uncracked at gutters. Replacement front and rear blank endpages. Additional engraved title page, signed ‘P. P.’. Old repair to top margin of engraved t.p., where loss to top margin has been repaired with laid paper. Two small areas of loss to engraved t.p. where owners’ signatures have been vigorously removed, one to repaired top margin & one to title cartouche in image, with small impact on lettering. Printed title page in red & black with publisher’s insignia. Minor additions to the engraved t.p.: lettering added to the open book laid before Erasmus and companions. On verso of engraved t.p., some outlines of the image on recto have been sketched in pen. Multiple annots to printed t.p., some careful English translations of title and the rest inscriptions by George and Joshua Berkeley: signature of Joshua Berkeley; inscription ‘hic liber pertinet ad Gulielmum Berkeley. Datuli a fratre Joshua Berkeley’, and ‘Geo: B:-y His Book / Oct. 17 1749 / Tuesd: Evening’. This very likely records the possession of the book by three brothers, Joshua Berkeley (1743-1807, Dean of Tuam), William Berkeley (d. 1814; Prebendary of Ballyhooly (Cloyne)); and George Berkeley (1737-1804, Vicar Choral of Cork & Precentor of Killala). Their father was Robert Berkeley (1698-1787), younger brother of George Berkeley (1685-1753), the philosopher and Church of Ireland bishop of Cloyne, after whom UC Berkeley is named. It is tempting to imagine that the ‘Geo: B: -y’ of the t.p. inscription might be the elderly Bishop Berkeley himself, but it is more likely to be his nephew the young George Berkeley, who in 1749 would have been 12 or 13 and who seems to have taken inscribing his book seriously, even noting the time of day. A fair amount of neat pen underlining to the first 15pp. of the Colloquies, with a couple of marginal notations (the letter ‘W’). Minor ink smudge to p. 40, pencil emendations to pp. 300 & 721, slight scattered foxing. Pen trials to final p. of index, not affecting text. With life of Erasmus & index. Haeghen, Bibliotheca Erasmiana, p. 42. ~Robust packaging. Tracking can be added to overseas orders on request. Used books are exempt from USA tariffs.