Happy feast of St. Luke - "the White" - and the evangelist!
Today, we have two important announcements.
To start off, the fifth part of the Saga is now available! It is called The Tree of Virtues.
Also, there is now a whole new website for the Saga, wherein you will find a variety of stuff - a basic introduction, the list of the titles, and also some "background" information... the sort of thing Tolkien put into the appendices of his masterwork. There's almost none of that there yet, but then it's just beginning. Besides, there are eight more volume still to come, and I have to be very careful not to reveal any of the secrets... and YES there are plenty of secrets awaiting you.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Raffle Flyer from Horrors in the Attic
Due to a variety of complications, the flyer for the Gutenberg Festival raffle was omitted from The Horrors in the Attic. It is fictional, though the books are (or have been) real enough. But it was back in 2007, so don't try to purchase a ticket.
(1) Donated by Alexandria's (specializing in very old books)
Please note: In June 2007 Alexandria sold her stock to Bastian's, just before it was struck by arson. Recovery operations are underway. Mr. Bastian Bux has the delight to present as the chief prize, a SIGNED copy of a very early edition of
CARROLL, LEWIS. [DODGSON, CHARLES LUTWIDGE] Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan and Co., 1867. 8vo. 42 wood-engraved illustrations after John Tenniel. Skillfully rebound with original gilt cloth covers and spine mounted. From the fourth printing (with "eight thousand" on title-page), author's presentation copy. Inscribed copies of Alice are rare and this copy is particularly early - inscribed in black ink before Dodgson received his supply of purple ink in October 1870.
NOTE: AS-IS. Strong odor of smoke. You may request to inspect this volume at Bastian's.
Estimated retail value: $3,900
(2) Donated by Leary's (the classic American used bookstore)
Long famous for its bookstore in Philadelphia, Leary's is America's choice for unusual and rare early American volumes.
Brian Leary, manager, presents:
YOUNG, JOHN RUSSELL (Editor). Memorial History of the City of Philadelphia From Its First Settlement to the Year 1895. Volumes I & II. New York: New York History Company, 1895. Complete in two volumes. Volume I: Narrative and Critical History, 1681-1895, by Howard M. Jenkins. Volume II: Special and Biographical, by George O. Seilhamer. 4to, [xxxii + 568pp] + [(9) + 484pp]. Each volume includes a tissue-guarded frontispiece as well as numerous plates, maps, portraits, figures, and facsimiles of original documents. Newly rebound in black buckram with gilt-stamped titles to spines. Text is crisp and unmarked.
Estimated retail value: $300
(3) Donated by The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth gives access to the twin worlds of science and engineering and of arts and literature. Both classical and modern books of all sorts are to be found here.
The Soffia brothers present:
Unknown as we go to press.
(4) Donated by Bastian's, formerly known as Coriander's (specializing in fiction, fantasy, mystery)
Bastian's is the anchor store of the south side, at the corner of Third and Penn, just south of the town square.
Bastian Bux presents:
CARROLL, LEWIS. Sylvie and Bruno. With Forty-Six Illustrations by Harry Furniss. London: Macmillan and Co., 1889. 8vo (7"x5"), xxiii + 400pp. Late 19th century red morocco binding, gilt tooled, raised bands, all edges gilt (a magnificent binding in near mint condition). Original cloth spine and covers pasted-down at rear on free endpapers.
Estimated retail value: $600
(5) Donated by Bremerton's Books
Bremerton's is the perfect Englishman's bookstore. Tea is served every afternoon at four.
CARPENTER, JOHN; WHITINGTON, RICHARD; RILEY, HENRY THOMAS (Translator). Liber Albus: The White Book of the City of London. [SIGNED BINDING]. London: Richard Griffin and Company, 1861. First edition. Compiled A.D. 1419 by John Carpenter, Common Clerk, and Richard Whitington, Mayor. Translated from the Original Latin and Anglo-Norman by Henry Thomas Riley. Thick oblong 8vo, xii + 660pp. Bound by Leighton and Hodge in full morocco leather with five raised bands, gilt stamped title to spine, and decorative blind tooled borders to boards. Page edges stained red. Marbled endpapers. Title page printed in red & black. A beautiful copy, in excellent condition. Binding is firm and square; text is immaculate.
Estimated retail value: $250
(6) Donated by Mifflin's, also known as The Haunted Bookshop
The "Parnassus" of Roger and Helen Mifflin, once a travelling book-wagon, and formerly of Brooklyn, now makes its home in Quayment. Smokers are welcome here! Let Roger prescribe your next book. He has what you need.
The Mifflins present:
The Lorsch Gospels. New York: George Braziller, [1967]. 678/1000. A facsimile of a magnificent manuscript from the Carolingian era. After centuries of separation, the four parts which comprise the Lorsch Gospels were united in Coronation Hall of the Holy Roman Empire in Aachen, Germany, on the occasion of the 1965 exhibition of the Council of Europe "Charlemagne: His Achievements and Influence". The cooperation of the respective owners made it possible to photograph the entire manuscript and the ivory covers during the exhibition, so that uniform conditions, necessary for fine reproduction, were obtained. Thus a foundation was laid for the reconstruction of the manuscript in this facsimile edition, which must now serve in place of a unified whole. Folio (36 x 27cm). Bound in quarter vellum over red cloth. Very Good condition. There is also a small insert which serves as an introduction. 4to, 23pp. Bound in grey wrappers. Near Fine condition.
Estimated retail value: $250
(7) Donated by Alarums and Excursions, specializing in scripts of plays and movies and all English literature.
Alarums and Excursions presents:
WILLIAMS, FREDERICK S. Our Iron Roads: Their History, Construction, and Social Influences. London: Ingram, Cooke, and Co., 1852. Examines the impact of the locomotive on Great Britain and other countries around the world. 8vo (8"x5"), xii + 390pp. + 2 plates and numerous illustrations.
Estimated retail value: $200
(8) Donated by The Gamut - music, scores, and a variety of media
The Gamut has a diverse selection of media, ranging from rare scores and practice manuals to CDs, DVDs, and more antiquated forms of recording. Use our listening booths to check out your selections!
The Gamut presents:
PALESTRINA; MOZART; ET AL. Ten Magnificats, for 4 and 5 Voices, by various Composers, suited to the different Seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year. Separate Vocal Parts. London: Burns and Lambert, Music and Piano Repository, c. 1860. Musical notation for tenor with leaves of varying length, with 12 extra pages of vocal music by Mendelssohn bound in. 4to, engraved title-page + 26pp. + 12pp. Bound in 19th century half calf over pebbled cloth.
Estimated retail value: $200
(9) Donated by Readers Anonymous - a motley collection for the anonymous reader!
BARNUM, P.T. The Life of P.T. Barnum. Written by Himself. New York: Redfield, 1855. First edition. First editon of the author's first book. 12mo, viii + pp. 9-404 + (4) pp. publisher's advertisements. Frontispiece portrait of the author and numerous other black & white engravings throughout the text. Newly rebound in blue cloth with marbled paper-covered boards and gilt title to spine. In very good plus condition, with small library stamp to copyright page.
Estimated retail value: $100
(10) Donated by World Books - specializing in foreign and international texts
Tired of the same old English? Perhaps you'd like to read Homer or Virgil or Dante or Don Quixote in the original... you can find them here, and many other books from around the world!
World Books presents:
An Atlas of Ten Select Maps of Ancient Geography, both Sacred and Profane; with a Chronological Chart of Universal History and Biography. Being Intended as an Accompaniment to Mayo's Ancient Geography and History. Calculated for the Use of Seminaries, &c. Philadelphia: John P. Watson, 1814. 4to (27 x 32cm). Bound in contemporary marbled boards with new cloth on spine for reinforcement. Previous owner's inscription on preliminary, "Manton Eastburn", former Episcopal bishop of Massachusetts (1843-1872). Small library stamp on title-page. Boards rubbed. This is a selection of ten hand-colored maps of the ancient world. The maps are: Terra Veteribus Nota, Romanum Imperium, Oriens Tabula, Graecia Antiqua, Italia Antiqua, Places Recorded in the Five Books of Moses &c. (3 maps in 1), The Land of Moriah or Jerusalem and the Adjacent Country, The State of Nations at the Christian Aera, and a Chronological Chart of Universal History and Biography (also hand-colored). All the maps are single-page except for the Romanum Imperium and the Chronological Chart, which are double-page.
Estimated retail value: $500
(11) Donated by The Lab Shelf
The Lab Shelf is your source for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and technical reference works. We have a large stock of journals from all branches of science.
The Lab Shelf presents:
DARWIN, CHARLES (1809-1882). The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, including an Autobiographical Chapter. Edited by his son, Francis Darwin. London: John Murray, 1887. First Edition. 8vo, 3 volumes. Illustrated. Bound in publisher's green cloth, wrinkling to spine of volume three, hinges tender on volume three, rear hinge cracked on volume one. Good condition.
Estimated retail value: $400
(12) Donated by Driftwood
Located next to Harry's Pier, Quayment's famous seafood restaurant and pub, Driftwood has a large collection of books about the sea and sailing. If you want books that will give you the sea spray far inland, Americana, local works, colonial or antique guides, Driftwood is the place you'll find it. Stop in and see what the tide washed up this week! We also carry a full line of sailing charts.
Driftwood presents:
JONES, GEORGE. Observations on the Zodiacal Light, from April 2, 1853, to April 22, 1855, Made Chiefly on Board The United States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, During her Late Cruise in Eastern Seas, and her Voyage Homeward: with Conclusions from the Data Thus Obtained. [United States Japan Expedition, Volume 3]. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1856. First edition. Large 4to, xliv + 704pp. Illustrated with 352 woodcut astronomical charts. Bound in light brown half-leather over marbled boards. In very good condition. Binding is firm and straight; contents are crisp, clean, and bright. Withdrawn from a college library, with minimal markings. Discoloration to front endpapers. Mild wear to joints and corners. A very nice copy overall.
Estimated retail value: $200
(13) Donated by Weaver's Books
The only major bookstore on the north side of our bay, housed in the former "Psephic Church of God" high on the north hill, Weaver's has some of the most unusual and rare books even in a town bursting with rare and unusual books. Ride the free Quayment shuttle and see - it's well worth the visit - don't miss the splendid view! Past Gutenberg Festival chairman Phil Weaver is the present owner, fourth in the line of the Weaver family owners of the bookstore. His daughter Mary is the store manager.
Phil Weaver presents:
The Septuagint Old Testament in Greek and Latin: E palaia diatheke kata tous ebdomekonta. Vetus Testamentum græcum juxta septuaginta interpretes, ex auctoritate Sixti Quinti Pontificis Maximi editum juxta exemplar originale vaticanum... Cum latina translatione, animadversionibus, et complementis ex aliis manuscriptis cura et studio J.N. Jager... Editio DD. De Quelen, Archiepiscopo Parisiensi dicata. [Complete in 2 volumes]. Parisiis: Editore Ambrosio Firmin Didot, 1855. Two 4to volumes. Bound in quarter leather with marbled boards. Marbled endpapers. Four raised bands and gilding to spines. Corners bumped, light rubbing to boards. Library stamps to half-title pages. Text in excellent condition.
Estimated retail value: $250
As we go to press, there are at least twenty lesser prizes, including a five-day double-room gift certificate for next year's Festival from the Quayment Hotel, several $100 gift certificates useful at any Quayment bookstore, and gift certificates for Ray's Family Restaurant, Harry's Pier, and Shelly's.
Be sure to check Saturday's edition of the Quayment Morning News for the final list of prizes!
Please note: Ticket sales will close Saturday at 5PM - so buy your tickets early!
The drawing will be held at the bandstand in the town square on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
The editions of the list which were published after Wednesday contained this additional information on the offerings from "The Phantom Tollbooth":
CARBONELLI, GIOVANNI. Sulle fonti storiche della chimica e dell'alchimia in Italia. Tratte dallo spoglio dei manoscritti delle biblioteche con speciale reguardo ai Codici 74 di Pavio e 1166 Laurenziano. Opera corredata di 242 reproduzioni fotografiche e due tavole fuori testo. Rome: Istituto Nazionale Medico Farmacologico, 1925. First edition. A comprehensive and well-illustrated study of the alchemical manuscripts stored in the Italian libraries. Folio, xxii + 212pp. + index. The text is accompanied by 242 illustrations, mostly facsimiles of various manuscripts. Bound in original quarter parchment with boards; titles printed in red & black. In very good condition. Binding and hinges are intact and firm. Foxing to top edge of frontispiece and title-page, otherwise very clean, unmarked, contents. No signs of prior ownership. Light scuffing and soiling to boards, otherwise a lovely copy. Very scarce.
Estimated retail value: $400
WESTWOOD, JOHN OBADIAH (1805-1893). Palæographia Sacra Pictoria: Being a Series of Illustrations of the Ancient Versions of the Bible, Copied from Illuminated Manuscripts, Executed between the Fourth and Sixteenth Centuries. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1845. Includes reproductions from Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, and Western European manuscripts. Small folio (33 x 27.5cm), xvii + (3) + 84pp + 50 colored plates. Bound in half red morocco with marbled boards. Five raised bands, with gilt title to spine. Upper hinge cracked, though binding is holding well. Boards rubbed, particularly at bottom edges. Overall good condition.
Estimated retail value: $700
=======================================
Bastian Bux and Brian Leary, co-chairmen of
The Sixth Annual Gutenberg Festival
Thursday July 12 - Saturday July 14, 2007
present
A Raffle
for the Benefit of
The Quayment Hospital
Single ticket price is $20.00.
Drawing to be held Saturday evening at 7:30
This leaflet courtesy The Quayment Morning News.
Quayment is America's Book Town. Your support of the Festival and the Raffle helps us continue this grand tradition! Purchase your raffle tickets at any Quayment bookstore, at the Town Hall, or any Quayment bank.
Ticket sales close Saturday at 5 PM!
*** The Big Prizes ***
The Sixth Annual Gutenberg Festival
Thursday July 12 - Saturday July 14, 2007
present
A Raffle
for the Benefit of
The Quayment Hospital
Single ticket price is $20.00.
Drawing to be held Saturday evening at 7:30
This leaflet courtesy The Quayment Morning News.
Quayment is America's Book Town. Your support of the Festival and the Raffle helps us continue this grand tradition! Purchase your raffle tickets at any Quayment bookstore, at the Town Hall, or any Quayment bank.
Ticket sales close Saturday at 5 PM!
*** The Big Prizes ***
(1) Donated by Alexandria's (specializing in very old books)
Please note: In June 2007 Alexandria sold her stock to Bastian's, just before it was struck by arson. Recovery operations are underway. Mr. Bastian Bux has the delight to present as the chief prize, a SIGNED copy of a very early edition of
CARROLL, LEWIS. [DODGSON, CHARLES LUTWIDGE] Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan and Co., 1867. 8vo. 42 wood-engraved illustrations after John Tenniel. Skillfully rebound with original gilt cloth covers and spine mounted. From the fourth printing (with "eight thousand" on title-page), author's presentation copy. Inscribed copies of Alice are rare and this copy is particularly early - inscribed in black ink before Dodgson received his supply of purple ink in October 1870.
NOTE: AS-IS. Strong odor of smoke. You may request to inspect this volume at Bastian's.
Estimated retail value: $3,900
(2) Donated by Leary's (the classic American used bookstore)
Long famous for its bookstore in Philadelphia, Leary's is America's choice for unusual and rare early American volumes.
Brian Leary, manager, presents:
YOUNG, JOHN RUSSELL (Editor). Memorial History of the City of Philadelphia From Its First Settlement to the Year 1895. Volumes I & II. New York: New York History Company, 1895. Complete in two volumes. Volume I: Narrative and Critical History, 1681-1895, by Howard M. Jenkins. Volume II: Special and Biographical, by George O. Seilhamer. 4to, [xxxii + 568pp] + [(9) + 484pp]. Each volume includes a tissue-guarded frontispiece as well as numerous plates, maps, portraits, figures, and facsimiles of original documents. Newly rebound in black buckram with gilt-stamped titles to spines. Text is crisp and unmarked.
Estimated retail value: $300
(3) Donated by The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth gives access to the twin worlds of science and engineering and of arts and literature. Both classical and modern books of all sorts are to be found here.
The Soffia brothers present:
Unknown as we go to press.
(4) Donated by Bastian's, formerly known as Coriander's (specializing in fiction, fantasy, mystery)
Bastian's is the anchor store of the south side, at the corner of Third and Penn, just south of the town square.
Bastian Bux presents:
CARROLL, LEWIS. Sylvie and Bruno. With Forty-Six Illustrations by Harry Furniss. London: Macmillan and Co., 1889. 8vo (7"x5"), xxiii + 400pp. Late 19th century red morocco binding, gilt tooled, raised bands, all edges gilt (a magnificent binding in near mint condition). Original cloth spine and covers pasted-down at rear on free endpapers.
Estimated retail value: $600
(5) Donated by Bremerton's Books
Bremerton's is the perfect Englishman's bookstore. Tea is served every afternoon at four.
CARPENTER, JOHN; WHITINGTON, RICHARD; RILEY, HENRY THOMAS (Translator). Liber Albus: The White Book of the City of London. [SIGNED BINDING]. London: Richard Griffin and Company, 1861. First edition. Compiled A.D. 1419 by John Carpenter, Common Clerk, and Richard Whitington, Mayor. Translated from the Original Latin and Anglo-Norman by Henry Thomas Riley. Thick oblong 8vo, xii + 660pp. Bound by Leighton and Hodge in full morocco leather with five raised bands, gilt stamped title to spine, and decorative blind tooled borders to boards. Page edges stained red. Marbled endpapers. Title page printed in red & black. A beautiful copy, in excellent condition. Binding is firm and square; text is immaculate.
Estimated retail value: $250
(6) Donated by Mifflin's, also known as The Haunted Bookshop
The "Parnassus" of Roger and Helen Mifflin, once a travelling book-wagon, and formerly of Brooklyn, now makes its home in Quayment. Smokers are welcome here! Let Roger prescribe your next book. He has what you need.
The Mifflins present:
The Lorsch Gospels. New York: George Braziller, [1967]. 678/1000. A facsimile of a magnificent manuscript from the Carolingian era. After centuries of separation, the four parts which comprise the Lorsch Gospels were united in Coronation Hall of the Holy Roman Empire in Aachen, Germany, on the occasion of the 1965 exhibition of the Council of Europe "Charlemagne: His Achievements and Influence". The cooperation of the respective owners made it possible to photograph the entire manuscript and the ivory covers during the exhibition, so that uniform conditions, necessary for fine reproduction, were obtained. Thus a foundation was laid for the reconstruction of the manuscript in this facsimile edition, which must now serve in place of a unified whole. Folio (36 x 27cm). Bound in quarter vellum over red cloth. Very Good condition. There is also a small insert which serves as an introduction. 4to, 23pp. Bound in grey wrappers. Near Fine condition.
Estimated retail value: $250
(7) Donated by Alarums and Excursions, specializing in scripts of plays and movies and all English literature.
Alarums and Excursions presents:
WILLIAMS, FREDERICK S. Our Iron Roads: Their History, Construction, and Social Influences. London: Ingram, Cooke, and Co., 1852. Examines the impact of the locomotive on Great Britain and other countries around the world. 8vo (8"x5"), xii + 390pp. + 2 plates and numerous illustrations.
Estimated retail value: $200
(8) Donated by The Gamut - music, scores, and a variety of media
The Gamut has a diverse selection of media, ranging from rare scores and practice manuals to CDs, DVDs, and more antiquated forms of recording. Use our listening booths to check out your selections!
The Gamut presents:
PALESTRINA; MOZART; ET AL. Ten Magnificats, for 4 and 5 Voices, by various Composers, suited to the different Seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year. Separate Vocal Parts. London: Burns and Lambert, Music and Piano Repository, c. 1860. Musical notation for tenor with leaves of varying length, with 12 extra pages of vocal music by Mendelssohn bound in. 4to, engraved title-page + 26pp. + 12pp. Bound in 19th century half calf over pebbled cloth.
Estimated retail value: $200
(9) Donated by Readers Anonymous - a motley collection for the anonymous reader!
BARNUM, P.T. The Life of P.T. Barnum. Written by Himself. New York: Redfield, 1855. First edition. First editon of the author's first book. 12mo, viii + pp. 9-404 + (4) pp. publisher's advertisements. Frontispiece portrait of the author and numerous other black & white engravings throughout the text. Newly rebound in blue cloth with marbled paper-covered boards and gilt title to spine. In very good plus condition, with small library stamp to copyright page.
Estimated retail value: $100
(10) Donated by World Books - specializing in foreign and international texts
Tired of the same old English? Perhaps you'd like to read Homer or Virgil or Dante or Don Quixote in the original... you can find them here, and many other books from around the world!
World Books presents:
An Atlas of Ten Select Maps of Ancient Geography, both Sacred and Profane; with a Chronological Chart of Universal History and Biography. Being Intended as an Accompaniment to Mayo's Ancient Geography and History. Calculated for the Use of Seminaries, &c. Philadelphia: John P. Watson, 1814. 4to (27 x 32cm). Bound in contemporary marbled boards with new cloth on spine for reinforcement. Previous owner's inscription on preliminary, "Manton Eastburn", former Episcopal bishop of Massachusetts (1843-1872). Small library stamp on title-page. Boards rubbed. This is a selection of ten hand-colored maps of the ancient world. The maps are: Terra Veteribus Nota, Romanum Imperium, Oriens Tabula, Graecia Antiqua, Italia Antiqua, Places Recorded in the Five Books of Moses &c. (3 maps in 1), The Land of Moriah or Jerusalem and the Adjacent Country, The State of Nations at the Christian Aera, and a Chronological Chart of Universal History and Biography (also hand-colored). All the maps are single-page except for the Romanum Imperium and the Chronological Chart, which are double-page.
Estimated retail value: $500
(11) Donated by The Lab Shelf
The Lab Shelf is your source for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and technical reference works. We have a large stock of journals from all branches of science.
The Lab Shelf presents:
DARWIN, CHARLES (1809-1882). The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, including an Autobiographical Chapter. Edited by his son, Francis Darwin. London: John Murray, 1887. First Edition. 8vo, 3 volumes. Illustrated. Bound in publisher's green cloth, wrinkling to spine of volume three, hinges tender on volume three, rear hinge cracked on volume one. Good condition.
Estimated retail value: $400
(12) Donated by Driftwood
Located next to Harry's Pier, Quayment's famous seafood restaurant and pub, Driftwood has a large collection of books about the sea and sailing. If you want books that will give you the sea spray far inland, Americana, local works, colonial or antique guides, Driftwood is the place you'll find it. Stop in and see what the tide washed up this week! We also carry a full line of sailing charts.
Driftwood presents:
JONES, GEORGE. Observations on the Zodiacal Light, from April 2, 1853, to April 22, 1855, Made Chiefly on Board The United States Steam-Frigate Mississippi, During her Late Cruise in Eastern Seas, and her Voyage Homeward: with Conclusions from the Data Thus Obtained. [United States Japan Expedition, Volume 3]. Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, 1856. First edition. Large 4to, xliv + 704pp. Illustrated with 352 woodcut astronomical charts. Bound in light brown half-leather over marbled boards. In very good condition. Binding is firm and straight; contents are crisp, clean, and bright. Withdrawn from a college library, with minimal markings. Discoloration to front endpapers. Mild wear to joints and corners. A very nice copy overall.
Estimated retail value: $200
(13) Donated by Weaver's Books
The only major bookstore on the north side of our bay, housed in the former "Psephic Church of God" high on the north hill, Weaver's has some of the most unusual and rare books even in a town bursting with rare and unusual books. Ride the free Quayment shuttle and see - it's well worth the visit - don't miss the splendid view! Past Gutenberg Festival chairman Phil Weaver is the present owner, fourth in the line of the Weaver family owners of the bookstore. His daughter Mary is the store manager.
Phil Weaver presents:
The Septuagint Old Testament in Greek and Latin: E palaia diatheke kata tous ebdomekonta. Vetus Testamentum græcum juxta septuaginta interpretes, ex auctoritate Sixti Quinti Pontificis Maximi editum juxta exemplar originale vaticanum... Cum latina translatione, animadversionibus, et complementis ex aliis manuscriptis cura et studio J.N. Jager... Editio DD. De Quelen, Archiepiscopo Parisiensi dicata. [Complete in 2 volumes]. Parisiis: Editore Ambrosio Firmin Didot, 1855. Two 4to volumes. Bound in quarter leather with marbled boards. Marbled endpapers. Four raised bands and gilding to spines. Corners bumped, light rubbing to boards. Library stamps to half-title pages. Text in excellent condition.
Estimated retail value: $250
* * * * * * *
As we go to press, there are at least twenty lesser prizes, including a five-day double-room gift certificate for next year's Festival from the Quayment Hotel, several $100 gift certificates useful at any Quayment bookstore, and gift certificates for Ray's Family Restaurant, Harry's Pier, and Shelly's.
Be sure to check Saturday's edition of the Quayment Morning News for the final list of prizes!
Please note: Ticket sales will close Saturday at 5PM - so buy your tickets early!
The drawing will be held at the bandstand in the town square on Saturday at 7:30 PM.
* * * * * * *
The editions of the list which were published after Wednesday contained this additional information on the offerings from "The Phantom Tollbooth":
CARBONELLI, GIOVANNI. Sulle fonti storiche della chimica e dell'alchimia in Italia. Tratte dallo spoglio dei manoscritti delle biblioteche con speciale reguardo ai Codici 74 di Pavio e 1166 Laurenziano. Opera corredata di 242 reproduzioni fotografiche e due tavole fuori testo. Rome: Istituto Nazionale Medico Farmacologico, 1925. First edition. A comprehensive and well-illustrated study of the alchemical manuscripts stored in the Italian libraries. Folio, xxii + 212pp. + index. The text is accompanied by 242 illustrations, mostly facsimiles of various manuscripts. Bound in original quarter parchment with boards; titles printed in red & black. In very good condition. Binding and hinges are intact and firm. Foxing to top edge of frontispiece and title-page, otherwise very clean, unmarked, contents. No signs of prior ownership. Light scuffing and soiling to boards, otherwise a lovely copy. Very scarce.
Estimated retail value: $400
WESTWOOD, JOHN OBADIAH (1805-1893). Palæographia Sacra Pictoria: Being a Series of Illustrations of the Ancient Versions of the Bible, Copied from Illuminated Manuscripts, Executed between the Fourth and Sixteenth Centuries. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1845. Includes reproductions from Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, and Western European manuscripts. Small folio (33 x 27.5cm), xvii + (3) + 84pp + 50 colored plates. Bound in half red morocco with marbled boards. Five raised bands, with gilt title to spine. Upper hinge cracked, though binding is holding well. Boards rubbed, particularly at bottom edges. Overall good condition.
Estimated retail value: $700
=======================================
Special thanks to Andrew Poole and Chris Hagen and the other workers at Loome Theological Booksellers for their help.
Note: some of these books may actually be available from Loome; check their catalog for details. Do NOT expect this listing to be accurate!
Friday, August 17, 2012
A public exorcism, Your Eminence?
I am posting this excerpt of the Saga in honour of the birthday of Father Stanley L. Jaki, OSB, who warned us of the dangers of evil, and our need to combat it regardless of the cost, and urged us who are yet in the Church Militant to beg divine assistance for those actively doing battle. He, in fact, is the sort of priest like Father Bondost: a priest who would wake a cardinal in the middle of the night.
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Requiescat in pace. Amen.
* * *
* * *
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei.
Requiescat in pace. Amen.
* * *
(Just for background: Father Bondost is the master of a boys' orphanage where Glen is a resident. Bernie Brown is the president of the Chivalry Club. Denny is one of the agents of the Enemy.)
"Oh my God, Father. That
obsidian knife! Denny actually had it at my throat..."
Quickly Father Bondost made the sign of
the cross.
Bernie also blessed himself,
then he said, "Of course, Father, that's the old pagan sacrifice of
Meso-America. Denny kept talking about Mayan dates." He twisted uneasily
in his chair. "All right. If you're willing to wake up a cardinal in the
middle of the night, I guess I can tell you... where I think the bad guys are
headed. And it's not to my friend's place. It's to the studios of Channel
Nine."
Father Bondost didn't speak, but
immediately began to dial.
"C.B.... it's Denis... In Latinam vocemus, quoniam..."
His Latin was fluent, honed to
almost the state of a pivate dialect – so much so Bernie could barely catch a
root here and there. But he kept smiling, and nodding with satisfaction. "Optime, O Mare Apis amicus meus. Ideo... Certainly, though I may be asleep. Ah, I am forgetting – the boys will wake me
by then. But call in any case. ... Amen, my brother.... God bless you
too."
He sighed and hung up the phone.
"I know you wish to sleep... but I think we had better go and keep
vigil."
"In your chapel?"
"Yes. He is going to act.
God only knows what the media will do in that crazy city... but then again...
perhaps it is God's plan." He stood up. "Few men – and fewer priests
– would dare to wake a cardinal out of his sleep and send him out... to battle.
We ought to show our support in the only way we can."
"I'm with you,
Father."
He followed the priest to the
chapel. As they went down the hall, a door opened. "What's wrong,
Father?" asked a young voice.
"Go back to sleep, Glen.
Bernie and I are going to the chapel to pray."
"I want to come –
please?"
The priest sighed. "Very
well..."
* * *
In New York, Cardinal C.B.
Tallisen got dressed, then summoned his clerical secretary to the small chapel.
Father Lwanga "Larry"
Russo, a tall black man named for the great martyr of Uganda, looked dubiously
at the cardinal as he put on his episcopal regalia. "You're actually
expecting to do a public exorcism, your Eminence?"
The cardinal was struggling with
a recalcitrant button on a vestment. "No, Larry – that is, I'm not
expecting anything. But we must be prepared. Something stinks... I don't think
it's another September 11, nothing like that. But the enemy is on the prowl,
and the shepherd must be awake." He picked up the large Roman Ritual,
pulled an overcoat over his vestments, then nodded. "Let's go. You drive,
please."
The cardinal chuckled as the car began to
move. "It's times like this when I could almost wish we were permitted
flashing lights like the police... think of it, Larry... yellow and white...
and a peal of bells instead of a siren. Maybe I'll send a quaestio to the Sacred Congregation of Rites. I wonder which
congregation they'd pass it off to..." He chuckled again. "There
ought to be some liturgical awareness of automobiles, don't you think?"
Fr. Russo was used to C.B.'s
wit. "Of course, the usual car lights always make me think of the Divine
Mercy image," Fr. Russo replied. "Every time I'm on a highway at
night – on one side, the shining white, on the other, the flaming red..."
"Very good... If I nod off,
please wake me."
"But your Eminence, you
didn't say where we're going!"
"Oh, I beg your pardon. The
studios of Channel Nine, at 99th and Seventh Avenues."
[PJF, "13.0.0.0.0" in From Darkness Into Light]
Saturday, August 11, 2012
A curious handling...
"...a curious
handling of Psalm 22, the Good Shepherd. A stunning landscape..."
Bernie, Marty, and John followed the priest to the
other side of the main entrance of the church. This picture showed a gruff man walking
through a dreary background with a young lad on his shoulder; with one hand he
supported the child, and with the other he wielded a heavy walking staff. By
deft use of color, the figures were illuminated against the dark surroundings;
one would hesitate to call it an aura. It was rather the reverse: the humans
were seen in natural light, and the encroaching darkness was the unnatural.
Bernie took it in – the artistry was
stunning – but when he turned to see the others, he was shocked to see the look
on John's face: a look he read as startled recognition.
Marty snapped a shot and said,
"Bernie, that rocky waterfall – we've seen it before." (He meant it
looked like the background to the painting of Christ and St. Peter at Caesarea
Philippi, in the chapel of Old Main.)
The priest nodded. "I'm not
surprised that you recognize it. That waterfall is well-known in the area – ah
– perhaps not as well-known as it once was. But my friends and I often hiked
out there in our younger days..." He sighed. "Out to the gorge, back
in the hills past St. Michael's – as I'm sure you know."
"St. Michael's – you mean
the orphanage?"
"That's right. It is called the Peter-falls."
Bernie had turned back to
examine it more carefully. "It sure looks eerie. What's that thing off to
the side, something smoking? Is there a hot spring near that waterfall?"
The priest shook his head.
"No; I always took it to represent the burnt sacrifices of the
pagans." He sighed. "It's all the more terrifying to me as I think of
Carthage, both ancient and modern – but I won't say more on that topic, not in this
consecrated place. There's other threats lurking if you look carefully: a
crevice in the rocks, and snakes, and there's a lion almost hidden in the
trees."
"A lion!" Bernie said
anxiously, trying to locate it.
"Yes; there were lions in Israel in the days when David was a shepherd boy..." He paused, lost in thought.
As the priest remained silent,
Marty asked, "Did you read what it says, Bernie? 'Though I walk in the
Dark Valley, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me'." But he turned
when he heard John moan, and asked, "What's wrong, John?"
"Nothing. But just look at that child's face. Is that supposed to be Jesus in the arms of St. Joseph?"
"Huh. There does seem to be a kind of glow around their heads, doesn't there? What do you say, Father?
He nodded, smiling. "I think it's like other things, intentionally left open so we can see more. Like St. John always speaking of 'the disciple who Jesus loved', or St. Luke writing to 'Theophilus' – which merely means 'Friend of God'. I find it very comforting, even though many times I am the one who must carry others and guard them against the terrors of darkness. What you must not forget is that there are other sheep not shown here – ones which have fled from the shepherd, into that forest..." He shivered. "If one has doubts about his vocation, this picture provides a healthy stimulus."
[PJF, From Darkness Into Light]
Monday, July 23, 2012
Chivalry: it's NOT a game...
Bernie interrupted Ted: "This isn't a game – and when you hear what I have to tell you, you'll realize just how huge the stakes can be. John's already been shot at, and Jim and Tony risked drowning, and Marty and John and I dared enter an old abandoned mine..."
"Oh man! I can't wait till we get to college and can do fun stuff too!" Nate said.
"He calls that fun," Bernie groaned. "And then there were days and weeks of slow plodding futile research... Be patient, Nate! You've got enough to do where you are. You know what our club is for..."
"Not really," Nate said, and some of the others nodded. "Chivalry? That sounds too simple."
"What else is there?" John asked. "Leaving all those imaginary super-powers for the fantasy comics, what more could a good young man like you want than chivalry? I mean, real chivalry, not that fake trash you read about in pulp fiction! Real Chivalry! The perfect union of
– the strong, brave, steadfast and reverent knight of the Middle Ages;
– the silent, bold and clever student of nature who is a Native American Indian scout;
– the well-read, up-to-date scholar who can handle the classics as well as the highest of high-tech science and engineering;
all this united, wrapped together and blessed by the Church? The defender of the weak, the supporter of the good and right, the relentless foe of evil? I ask you, what more do you want?"
«We gotta have John write all our ad copy», Marty murmured, and Bernie nodded in agreement, deeply impressed.
The Gregs stared in awe, conscious of their heart's pulses surging to a larger life. Jim and Tony were sitting alertly, as if on guard.
Jason nodded solemnly. "It sure sounds impressive when you put it that way."
"It does," Jeff replied in a small voice, but his eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.
Nate gulped. Then, since John was still staring at him as if expecting an answer to his grand rhetoric, he replied, "I guess... nothing. Right?"
The room was silent until Bernie spoke: "Well – no, Nate. There is one more requirement beyond what John mentioned. You must also have Authority."
Again the room was silent. Marty sighed faintly, and John closed his eyes and nodded.
[From Darkness Into Light VI: What More Do You Want?]
"Oh man! I can't wait till we get to college and can do fun stuff too!" Nate said.
"He calls that fun," Bernie groaned. "And then there were days and weeks of slow plodding futile research... Be patient, Nate! You've got enough to do where you are. You know what our club is for..."
"Not really," Nate said, and some of the others nodded. "Chivalry? That sounds too simple."
"What else is there?" John asked. "Leaving all those imaginary super-powers for the fantasy comics, what more could a good young man like you want than chivalry? I mean, real chivalry, not that fake trash you read about in pulp fiction! Real Chivalry! The perfect union of
– the strong, brave, steadfast and reverent knight of the Middle Ages;
– the silent, bold and clever student of nature who is a Native American Indian scout;
– the well-read, up-to-date scholar who can handle the classics as well as the highest of high-tech science and engineering;
all this united, wrapped together and blessed by the Church? The defender of the weak, the supporter of the good and right, the relentless foe of evil? I ask you, what more do you want?"
«We gotta have John write all our ad copy», Marty murmured, and Bernie nodded in agreement, deeply impressed.
The Gregs stared in awe, conscious of their heart's pulses surging to a larger life. Jim and Tony were sitting alertly, as if on guard.
Jason nodded solemnly. "It sure sounds impressive when you put it that way."
"It does," Jeff replied in a small voice, but his eyes were glowing with enthusiasm.
Nate gulped. Then, since John was still staring at him as if expecting an answer to his grand rhetoric, he replied, "I guess... nothing. Right?"
The room was silent until Bernie spoke: "Well – no, Nate. There is one more requirement beyond what John mentioned. You must also have Authority."
Again the room was silent. Marty sighed faintly, and John closed his eyes and nodded.
[From Darkness Into Light VI: What More Do You Want?]
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Still in development: The Tree of Virtues
Yes, due to some complications, I am still not ready to release The Tree of Virtues, the next installment of the Saga. There's one small puzzle yet confronting me, but I hope to get past it soon.
Among other things you may be wondering what that title is about. It comes from an amazing diagram called "The Tree of Virtues" which appears in a large old book called Cursus Theologicus of Salamanca. It is a very complex diagram, very tech, which organizes all the various branches of human learning and endeavor into one system - yes, a TREE. (I have no time to lecture on the relation to computer science; that ought to be evident, but if it isn't I perhaps I will post on it another time.)
Here is a snapshot of this amazing diagram...
(Courtesy of A. Poole, of Loome Theological Booksellers.
Meanwhile, you can entertain yourself with this curious collage of artwork, which will NOT be included in the final book:
The big trombonist is no other than Bo Reynolds, the world-famous musician. He's jamming with Chuck Weller, a good friend of Steve Brown. Steve is greeting another world-famous person, the great mathematician Erich Weitzmann, known to some as "the Hermite of the 21st Century". And if you do not know who Hermite was, see here. He's the one who proved that "e" is transcendental. And if you are wondering what that odd little contraption in the lower left is, you will find out when you read the book. Strangely, it happens to fall squarely between Bo and Erich, but it has another purpose.
Update: as of Oct. 18, it is available, and the next installment is nearing completion!
Among other things you may be wondering what that title is about. It comes from an amazing diagram called "The Tree of Virtues" which appears in a large old book called Cursus Theologicus of Salamanca. It is a very complex diagram, very tech, which organizes all the various branches of human learning and endeavor into one system - yes, a TREE. (I have no time to lecture on the relation to computer science; that ought to be evident, but if it isn't I perhaps I will post on it another time.)
Here is a snapshot of this amazing diagram...
(Courtesy of A. Poole, of Loome Theological Booksellers.
Meanwhile, you can entertain yourself with this curious collage of artwork, which will NOT be included in the final book:
The big trombonist is no other than Bo Reynolds, the world-famous musician. He's jamming with Chuck Weller, a good friend of Steve Brown. Steve is greeting another world-famous person, the great mathematician Erich Weitzmann, known to some as "the Hermite of the 21st Century". And if you do not know who Hermite was, see here. He's the one who proved that "e" is transcendental. And if you are wondering what that odd little contraption in the lower left is, you will find out when you read the book. Strangely, it happens to fall squarely between Bo and Erich, but it has another purpose.
Update: as of Oct. 18, it is available, and the next installment is nearing completion!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Something which few grasp...
It is well that we humans who are still alive and walking in life's journey – whom Aquinas calls peregrinatio, the true pilgrims – do not have any idea how vast and powerful an array of enemies are at work against us. Few indeed of us ever grasp that, and fewer seem to grasp that we have an even larger host of allies, who have even greater power.
[from Ite Milites Audaces... (Go, Daring Knights...) part 1]
[from Ite Milites Audaces... (Go, Daring Knights...) part 1]
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