Sales catalogue 78: Peter Murray Hill Ltd.

Date:
Autumn 1961
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/43/4
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Sales catalogue 78: Peter Murray Hill Ltd. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/46 page 35
    174 Ld 176 wal 73 SLOANE AVENUE, CHELSEA, LONDON, S.W.3. 35 WITH THE EARLY TITLE PAGE. RAMBLER (The). Printed for J. Payne, and J. Bouquet, 1751. £48 208 issues complete in 1 volume,. folio, FINE CONTEMPORARY CALF, ATTRACTIVELY GILT BACK; A MOST HANDSOME COPY; certainly bound on the continent, and there is an old German library stamp on the title page. Despite the fact that No. 1 has the final rather absurd note that “‘ the preceding Numbers may be had” and therefore according to Courtney (pp. 30-31) cannot be the first issue, this volume has the EARLIEST ISSUE OF THE TITLE PAGE FOR THE COLLECTED NUMBERS, in which one title (without the words “ Volume First ’’) covers both volumes, and is dated 1751, not 1753 (see Courtney’s facsimile). In this issue there is no table of contents or mottoes (see Courtney, p. 30). However, a contemporary owner has added a neat MS. Contents list at the end. RAMBLER’S MAGAZINE (The); Or, the Annals of Gallantry, Glee, Pleasure, and the Bon Ton; Calculated for the Entertainment of the Polite World, and to Furnish the Man of Pleasure with a most delicious Bouquet of Amorous, Bacchanalian, Whimsical, Humorous, Theatrical and Polite Entertainment. [In 8 volumes, as detailed below]. Printed for the Authors . . . 1783-91. £50 Bound in 8 volumes, 8vo, half calf, this remarkable run comprises 96 MONTHLY ISSUES AND 6 YEARLY SUPPLEMENTS, from Jan. 1783—Dec. 1790, lacking the number for Jan. 1790 but with that for Jan. 1791 bound in error in its place (the publication ended in Feb. 1791 and the last two numbers were added to the volume for 1790, with continuous pagination); lacking also the Supplement for 1787 (in 1790 no Supplement appeared, the volume concluding instead, as we have seen, with the addition of Jan.—Feb. 1791). WitTH 110 PLaTEs, including many of the extremely free ones for which the Magazine was notorious. In the first two volumes all plates are present, in later volumes many have been removed (in two vols. all but 4 and in one volume all) presumably by a disapproving owner—though on what plan it is hard to see, since the plates allowed to remain are not always the most innocuous, very sportive scenes being left in whilst theatrical or political subjects have been jettisoned. Moreover, it is odd that anyone who could stomach the text should jib at the plates, since the Ramblers Magazine has to be read to be believed. The serial stories, anecdotes, satires on innumerable contemporary personalities, the outspoken gossip of the town, the poetry (there is a collection in each issue) are all in the same ribald spirit—a spirit sustained unflaggingly for eight years; and all combine to present a minutely detailed picture of at least a considerable slice of 18th century life. RANGER (The). A Collection of Periodical Essays, inscribed to the Rev. Thomas Atwood, M.A., by the Hon. M. Hawke and Sir R. Vincent. Vol.I[—II]. Brentford: Printed for the Authors, N.D. [1795]. £4 4s 2 vols., 12mo, contemporary tree calf. Nos. 1-40 (1 Jan., 1794-21 Mar., 1795). Crane and Kaye, 773, recording the Library of Congress holding of Nos. 1-28 only. REFLECTOR (The). Published Weekly by James Stephen, at Lons- dale Chambers, 27, Chancery Lane, 1888. £3 10s 4to, half morocco. 15 ORIGINAL ISSUES, Nos. 1-17 (all published), 1 Jan.—-21 April, 1888, lacking Nos. 12 and 15; No. 1 is loosely inserted. A SCARCE AND VERY CURIOUS PAPER, written largely ‘by James Stephen, a young man of great brilliance for whom a shining future was forecast; unfortunately in 1886 he suffered an acci- dental blow on the head which affected his health and led in 1892 to his death. His remarkable originality comes out in this magazine, not least in the quaint mock- advertisements. No. 5 contains a short story by ANstEy, the author of Vice Versa, which appears to be unrecorded.
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