Jean-Paul Sartre – L’imagination. Paris: Félix Alcan, 1936
8vo, [iv], 162, [2] pp., original printed wrappers, tiny closed tear at top of front hinge, bottom edges a little stained, uncut, a very good clean copy.
The Life of Spinoza in German, 1733
Das Leben des Bened. von Spinoza, aus denen Schrifften dieses beruffenen Welt-Weisens und aus dem Zeugniß vieler glaubwürdiger Personen, die ihn besonders gekannt haben, … Nunmehro aber aus dem Frantzösischen ins Hoch-Teutsche übersetztet und mit verschiedenen Anmerckungen vermehret [by Johann Faccius]. Frankfurt und Leipzig, 1733 [bound with] Das Leben des weltberühmten Herrn Peter Bayle, wie solches zuerst in Französischer Sprache von Hn. Des Maizeaux aufgesetzt, und nunmehro, seiner Schönheit und unzehliger Merckwürdigkeiten wegen, ins Deutsche übertragen von J. P. Kohl. Hamburg: König und Richter, 1731.
Thomas Reid – Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, 1785
4to, xii, 766, [2] pp., contemporary tree calf, spine ruled gilt with black morocco label, rubbed with slight loss to foot of spine, Thomas Reid’s ink signature tipped onto front pastedown, ownership inscription ‘W. Ewing Maclae, 1798’ on front free endpaper, a few neat early annotations in two margins, isolated spots, a very nice copy in an unrestored binding, with an appealing Scottish provenance.
Thomas Kuhn – The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 1962
172 pp., original printed wrappers, slight loss to spine head and front top corner, unobtrusive reading marks in neat red pen on 81 pages, a good copy of the very scarce first impression.
David Hume – autograph letter, signed, to Octavie Belot, 1763.
One page, folded from folio to small 4to, the original sheet being 336mm by 214mm, address on verso, with seal, approximately 150 words in a clear hand in brown ink, with one correction in his hand changing “them” to “the printers”, the paper professionally cleaned and backed with acid-free tissue, tear neatly repaired but in good condition.
David Hume – An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, 1751
8vo, with the half title, 12mo, [viii], 253, [3] pp., L3 a cancel, contemporary gilt-panelled calf, nicely rebacked and corners restored, B3 with a paper flaw, tiny stain in outer margin of last few leaves, no stamps or inscriptions, a very good copy.
Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan in Dutch
Leviathan: of van de Stoffe, Gedaente, ende Magt van de Kerckelijcke ende Wereltlycke Regeeringe. Beschreven door Thomas Hobbes van Malmesbury. Amsterdam: J. Wagenaar, 1667. 8vo, with the extra engraved title, the portrait of Hobbes and the folding table, [xiv], 744, [64] pp., (misnumberings: 45 for 47, 207 for 307, 389 for 289, 307 for 407, 595 for 597, 789 for 689), contemporary vellum with hand-lettered spine, uniform light browning, 3 leaves (F, N, T2) with small tears in bottom margin, a spot on X6, a tiny dampstain running through top margin of index, hole in final leaf of index repaired with slight loss of text, still a good copy overall.
Pierre Bayle on religious toleration
Ce que c’est que la France toute catholique, sous le règne de Louis le Grand. A S. Omer: chez Jean Pierre, 1686. 12mo, [iv], 128 pp., beautiful mid-19th-century half red morocco binding signed by Bourlier, marbled edges and endpapers, neat early inscription on front free endpaper ‘Cet ouvrage est attribué à P. Bayle’, bottom few millimetres of the final 15 leaves expertly re-margined, a fine copy of an extremely scarce book.
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations
Philosophische Untersuchungen / Philosophical Investigations. Translated by G.E.M. Anscombe. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1953. Large 8vo, x [+xe], 232 [+ 232e], publisher’s blue cloth, corners sharp and gilt spine lettering still bright, unclipped dust-jacket, spine somewhat darkened with a few tears and nicks, errata slip inserted loose, one leaf with a 6 cm closed tear in lower margin, generally a very good clean copy.
Scottish Enlightenment lecture notes – John Millar
Manuscript entitled ‘A course of Lectures on Government By John Millar Esquire. 1786’, Lectures 9-47, with, bound at the end, an 8-page printed curriculum: A Course of Lectures on Government; given annually in the University. Glasgow: 1783. 4to, 176 numbered pages handwritten in ink, clearly legible, rebound around 1850 in half green morocco, dampstain running through top right-hand corner with slight loss of text on a few leaves, general condition very good.