Details
HUBERT, Robert. A Catalogue of many natural rarities, with great industry, cost, and thirty years travel in foreign countries. Collected by Robert Hubert, alias Forges, Gent. and sworn servant of His Majesty. And daily to be seen, at the place formerly called the Musick House, near the West end of St. Paul's Church. London: printed by Tho. Ratcliff, for the Author, 1665.
Small 8° (136 x 82mm). (Foremargin of title neatly repaired with loss of type ornament border but not affecting the lettering, signature A apparently lacking A3 although numeration is continuous and the text appears complete.) 19th-century calf gilt (spine slightly faded). Provenance: R L J (monogrammed bookplate); David Murray (Glasgow, ownership inscription).
Second edition of this VERY RARE WORK: in effect a sale catalogue for Hubert's collection, listing in detail some of the highlights. The collection included 'Rarities Humane'; 'Rarities of Beasts'; 'Birds'; 'Fishes'; 'Serpents, &c.'; 'Insects or Flies'; 'Vegetables'; 'Sea Plants, &c.'; 'Minerals, Stones of strange shapes, and things turned into stones; with Chrystals and precious Stones'; 'Natural Landskips in Stone'; 'Mettals, Minerals, &c.'; 'Precious Stones'; 'Divers stones of strange shapes & regular forms'; 'Things of strange operation'. In addition to the items mentioned in detail, Hubert also notes that 'there are 40. Chests or Boxes furnished with many hundreds of rarities... their names and natures being omitted to avoid prolixity: but if the owner of this collection of Rarities do sell them, he then God willing will write at large a more ample account of each thing in particular, for the satisfaction of that vertuous person that is pleased to buy them.' (p.68). In February 1666 the collection was bought by the Royal Society for £100. It joined other similar items in the Society's Repository. The Repository in its turn was given to the British Museum in 1779, when the Society moved to Somerset House. Wing H-3244.
Small 8° (136 x 82mm). (Foremargin of title neatly repaired with loss of type ornament border but not affecting the lettering, signature A apparently lacking A3 although numeration is continuous and the text appears complete.) 19th-century calf gilt (spine slightly faded). Provenance: R L J (monogrammed bookplate); David Murray (Glasgow, ownership inscription).
Second edition of this VERY RARE WORK: in effect a sale catalogue for Hubert's collection, listing in detail some of the highlights. The collection included 'Rarities Humane'; 'Rarities of Beasts'; 'Birds'; 'Fishes'; 'Serpents, &c.'; 'Insects or Flies'; 'Vegetables'; 'Sea Plants, &c.'; 'Minerals, Stones of strange shapes, and things turned into stones; with Chrystals and precious Stones'; 'Natural Landskips in Stone'; 'Mettals, Minerals, &c.'; 'Precious Stones'; 'Divers stones of strange shapes & regular forms'; 'Things of strange operation'. In addition to the items mentioned in detail, Hubert also notes that 'there are 40. Chests or Boxes furnished with many hundreds of rarities... their names and natures being omitted to avoid prolixity: but if the owner of this collection of Rarities do sell them, he then God willing will write at large a more ample account of each thing in particular, for the satisfaction of that vertuous person that is pleased to buy them.' (p.68). In February 1666 the collection was bought by the Royal Society for £100. It joined other similar items in the Society's Repository. The Repository in its turn was given to the British Museum in 1779, when the Society moved to Somerset House. Wing H-3244.
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