Engraved frontis., numerous engravings in the text, & 58 mostly folding engraved plates. 2 p.l., xxxviii, [10], 408, [40] pp. Large thick 4to, cont. cat’s paw polished calf, spine nicely gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: P.J. Mariette, 1750.

First published in 1691 and revised by Le Blond in the early 18th century, the Cours d’Architecture was totally revised and enlarged with new designs of buildings and ornaments by Mariette in 1738. Our edition of 1750 was the one most familiar to architects of the mid-18th century; it “was the standard work for architects…This book included a life... More

One folding engraved map. 1 p.l., 8, xiv, 293 pp., one leaf, 121 pp. 8vo, cont. half-calf & marbled boards (well-rebacked by Aquarius), flat spine gilt, uncut. Edinburgh: J. Watson et al., 1799.

Second edition, revised and much enlarged (1st ed.: 1794). "A more ambitious and prolific writer was Robert Brown of Markle near Haddington, who lived from 1756 to 1831. He was magnificently appreciated in his own day, a situation in which few writers are happy enough to find themselves. He was eulogised by one of his admirers as having produced a work second only to the Bible."­Fussell, The Old... More

[iii]-xxxii, 408, [8] pp.; [iii]-xx, 454, [4] pp. Two vols. 8vo, early 19th-cent. polished half-calf, spine nicely gilt, red morocco lettering pieces on spines. London: G. Nicol et al., 1796.

Second edition, greatly enlarged; first published in one volume in 1785. This “is a treatise on the art of planting and laying-out plantations, and much of the work is devoted to a catalogue of trees and shrubs alphabetically arranged…This [edition] contains additional information on planting, and on rural ornament (the laying out of grounds), and descriptions of some noted estates visited by the author together with his critical remarks and... More

One engraved plate. iv, xxxi, 298, [2], 136 pp. 8vo, cont. half-calf & marbled boards, flat spine gilt. London: S. Hooper, 1773.

"The second edition, greatly improved" (1st ed., published anonymously: 1769); this is an important and useful work. The final 136 pages contain the first English agricultural bibliography, enlarged from the first edition, in which the author lists and, oftentimes, annotates about 1500 titles. It is arranged chronologically and there is an excellent index at end.

"Richard Weston (1733-1806) appears to have had an excellent knowledge of nursery gardening and nurserymen's sale catalogues. He was interested in agriculture and all... More