General Books - Astronomiæ, Physicæ et Geometricæ Elementa

Pierre de Nolhac - text and illustrations - Paris, 1900, 2 vols. in original cloth-covered slip case, 189pp.; handmade paper, coloured frontispiece, numerous tissue- guarded tinted plates, limited edition of 100 copies (present unnumbered marked as 'offert'); text pages uncut. 3.44 kg, 34.5 x 26.3 cm



Property of an Essex gentleman.

Anonymous; attributed to Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu - Amsterdam, 1781, hardback with full-calf binding, marbled endpapers and edging, 430pp; two maps (detached). 403 grams, 17 x 10.2 cm



Property of an Essex gentleman.

The work 'On the Spirit of Laws' is an extended essay on political theory and comparative law, originally published anonymously due to its radical content. It gained great influence outside France through translation into many other languages. In 1751 the Roman Catholic Church added it to its Index Librorum Prohibitorum (List of Banned Books). Montesquieu spent about ten years researching and writing the text which deals with a range of topics including law, society and the more general study of humanity (anthropology). He maintained that political institutions needed to reflect the social and geographical aspects of the originating community in order to succeed. The work calls for a constitutional system of government with separation of the various powers, preservation of legality and of civil liberties, and the abolition of institutional slavery. The first edition proved highly controversial and had to be amended (whence the 'Nouvelle Edition' here) including removing certain pages which contained incautious statements on the institution of monarchy, on Cardinal Richelieu, and on the government of other countries. The maps are detached from the book; both are dated 1764, by Robert de Vaugondy. The larger is a map of the world with parts of North and South America, Africa and Australia left blank. The smaller encompasses Europe and 'European Russia' with Ukraine marked as 'Little Tartary'.

Lucien Jonas - Reproduction of the field sketchbook of Jonas subtitled 'Armée Anglaise Juin 1915' (British Army, June 1915) with studies of Sir John French, Douglas Haig, Brigadier Maurice, General Lambton and other officers, many with a location; inside front cover with listing of British and Indian regimental officers; inside back cover with list of Interpreters, French and Belgian mission officers, studies of Ypres (2) and the Pas de Calais; hardback with cloth covers (partly detached)' publisher's note to inside back cover (in French) stating that this sketchbook by the painter Jonas, who was attached to the Musée de l' Armée, has been reproduced in facsimile through Librarie Dorbon-Ainé in Paris; this volume is one of 200 monochrome offprints; with artist's manuscript initials. 799 grams, 32.2 x 24.2 cm



Property of an Essex gentleman.

Unique first-hand study of the British Army in the early stages of the First World war.