Send us your name and email address.
We'll add you to our subscriber list and alert you to new catalogues and similar news
Mr. Philip D. Burden
P.O. Box 863,
Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks HP6 9HD,
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0) 1494 76 33 13
Email: enquiries@caburden.com
A FINE EXAMPLE OF A VERY RARE AND IMPORTANT WORK published during the height of the Restoration with contributions from many of the finest minds in England at the time. Only three complete examples have sold at auction in the last 30 years. Sir Jonas Moore, mathematician, was born at Whittle, Lancashire, in 1617. He was appointed surveyor of the great engineering project to drain the Fens, which began 1649 under the direction of the first Duke of Bedford. This led him to cartographic works including coastal charts later published by John Seller, a survey of the River Thames and a map of Cambridgeshire. He was sent to Tangier to investigate the possibility of fortifications in 1663. Upon his return he was knighted and made Surveyor-General of the Ordnance. He moved into the Tower and enjoyed favour at the highest level. He secured from the King the foundation of a Royal Observatory and he invited John Flamsteed in 1674 to become its first Astronomer Royal. He entered the Royal Society in 1674 and died suddenly returning to London from Portsmouth in 1679.
Moore’s most prominent work was this extremely rare ‘A New System of the Mathematicks …’ which appeared posthumously in 1681 under the supervision of his sons-in-law, William Hanway and John Potenger. It had been ordained by him for use in the mathematical school of Christ’s Hospital, and was dedicated to the King. It consisted of eight parts, which in order are: arithmetic, practical geometry, trigonometry, cosmography, navigation, the ‘Doctrine of the Sphere’, astronomical tables and lastly the ‘New Geography’. It is complemented by a fine series of plates and maps. He was assisted in this work by many of the great men of the day, such as Samuel Pepys, governor of the school, Edmund Halley, and John Flamsteed. The cartography, however, appears to have been left directly to Herman Moll (see the entry for the map of Florida.) It is interesting to quote from the Advertisement to the Reader. “The following Geographick Treatise, with some other Parts of this Book, had the ill fortune to be left uncompleat, by our Renowned Author, who was snatcht from us, whilst he was with greatest application hastning the Edition thereof. This deplorable accident hath been the occasion that it hath been so long detained from publick view, and that now it is come abroad with much less lustre, than ought to be expected, from the Judicious and Learned Pen of Sir Jonas Moore. As far as could be Collected, from the Maps he had caused to be engraven in his Life-time … we have endeavoured to prosecute this Design he had laid.”
It is clear from the advertisement that Herman Moll was retained by Moore to engrave the maps. Although he only signs two of them, the style is uniform throughout. The America is one that bears his imprint, with the other being Europe, which is signed ‘Londini’. This, combined with Robert Hooke’s diary stating that Moll was working as an engraver for Moses Pitt in 1678, puts his arrival in London to at the latest 1678.
No definitive collation of the work exists, and the plates are bound quite differently in each example, with differing plates often found. A study of the chapters is confusing. The title page refers to eight parts however only seven appear to be present. Yet the title page does not concur with the Index following which splits part III (‘Trigonometry’) into two chapters in the index and omits VI (‘Doctrine of the Sphere’) altogether. Likewise it does not include VIII (‘New Geography’) in the index. Further analysis is revealing and alludes to an explanation. As we have seen Moore died before its publication and his relatives and colleagues rallied around to finish the work on his behalf. This example omits the chapter ‘The Doctrine of the Sphere’ which we know was not written by Moore but supplied later by Flamsteed. Likewise the chapter on ‘Algebra’ was being written by the Master of Christ’s Hospital, Peter Perkins. The ‘Geography’ was the work of Halley, at least the text quite probably. The index or design of the book it would seem was laid out by Moore or at least at an earlier time than the final production of the title page, hence the differences. It is feasible that we are looking at an early example off the press. Collating the atlas with that in the British Library (G.More 1a) shows it omits just one plate, that of the Leeward Islands. Provenance: public auction. Adams & Waters (1995) 2557; Burden (1996-2007) nos. 534-39; DNB; Houzeau-Lancaster (1882-89) 8796; Peters (1989) nos. 295-96; Sabin (1868) 50415; Shirley (2004) G.More 1a; Taylor (1967) 413; Warner (1979) 191; Wing (1945-51) M 2579.
Moore’s most prominent work was this extremely rare ‘A New System of the Mathematicks …’ which appeared posthumously in 1681 under the supervision of his sons-in-law, William Hanway and John Potenger. It had been ordained by him for use in the mathematical school of Christ’s Hospital, and was dedicated to the King. It consisted of eight parts, which in order are: arithmetic, practical geometry, trigonometry, cosmography, navigation, the ‘Doctrine of the Sphere’, astronomical tables and lastly the ‘New Geography’. It is complemented by a fine series of plates and maps. He was assisted in this work by many of the great men of the day, such as Samuel Pepys, governor of the school, Edmund Halley, and John Flamsteed. The cartography, however, appears to have been left directly to Herman Moll (see the entry for the map of Florida.) It is interesting to quote from the Advertisement to the Reader. “The following Geographick Treatise, with some other Parts of this Book, had the ill fortune to be left uncompleat, by our Renowned Author, who was snatcht from us, whilst he was with greatest application hastning the Edition thereof. This deplorable accident hath been the occasion that it hath been so long detained from publick view, and that now it is come abroad with much less lustre, than ought to be expected, from the Judicious and Learned Pen of Sir Jonas Moore. As far as could be Collected, from the Maps he had caused to be engraven in his Life-time … we have endeavoured to prosecute this Design he had laid.”
It is clear from the advertisement that Herman Moll was retained by Moore to engrave the maps. Although he only signs two of them, the style is uniform throughout. The America is one that bears his imprint, with the other being Europe, which is signed ‘Londini’. This, combined with Robert Hooke’s diary stating that Moll was working as an engraver for Moses Pitt in 1678, puts his arrival in London to at the latest 1678.
No definitive collation of the work exists, and the plates are bound quite differently in each example, with differing plates often found. A study of the chapters is confusing. The title page refers to eight parts however only seven appear to be present. Yet the title page does not concur with the Index following which splits part III (‘Trigonometry’) into two chapters in the index and omits VI (‘Doctrine of the Sphere’) altogether. Likewise it does not include VIII (‘New Geography’) in the index. Further analysis is revealing and alludes to an explanation. As we have seen Moore died before its publication and his relatives and colleagues rallied around to finish the work on his behalf. This example omits the chapter ‘The Doctrine of the Sphere’ which we know was not written by Moore but supplied later by Flamsteed. Likewise the chapter on ‘Algebra’ was being written by the Master of Christ’s Hospital, Peter Perkins. The ‘Geography’ was the work of Halley, at least the text quite probably. The index or design of the book it would seem was laid out by Moore or at least at an earlier time than the final production of the title page, hence the differences. It is feasible that we are looking at an early example off the press. Collating the atlas with that in the British Library (G.More 1a) shows it omits just one plate, that of the Leeward Islands. Provenance: public auction. Adams & Waters (1995) 2557; Burden (1996-2007) nos. 534-39; DNB; Houzeau-Lancaster (1882-89) 8796; Peters (1989) nos. 295-96; Sabin (1868) 50415; Shirley (2004) G.More 1a; Taylor (1967) 413; Warner (1979) 191; Wing (1945-51) M 2579.
MOORE, Sir Jonas
A New System of Mathematicks Composed by the Eminently Worthy Sr Jonas Moore Knight. Late Surveyor Genl: of his Mats: Ordnance and Fellow of the Royall Society & C.
Anne Godbid and J. Playford, for Robert Scott, London, 1681
Quarto (225 x 185 mm.), two volumes, early full calf, ribbed spine with six compartments. Panels decorated with gilt anchors and fleur-de-lis, red calf gilt title labels. Seven parts bound in two volumes, five the first and the last two the second volume. Without ‘The Doctrine of the Sphere and Algebra’ (see below). Volume I pp. (10); ‘Arithmetick’ pp. 288; ‘Practical Geometry’ pp. (2), 136 (numbered 25-161). Volume II ‘Astronomical Tables’ in two parts pp. (2), 143, 384: ‘A New Geography’ in two parts pp. 56, (4), 32. With engraved title page, 35 engraved plates (15 folded, one with volvelle), 59 engraved maps on 50 plates (29 folded) and several engravings in the text (one with volvelle). Some plates trimmed close in binding. Three maps with simple colouring, one with rough right margin. A definitive collation has not been established.
Stock number: 1944
SOLD