£4,000 - £6,000
Caesar, Julius (100-44 BCE). The Commentaries of Caesar. Translated by William Duncan. London: for J. and R. Tonson, S. Draper, and R. Dodsley, 1753. Frontispiece, (6), civ, 335pp, [10]. 80 engraved illustrations only, including all 6 maps, many of which double-page or folding.
A fresh first edition of Duncan's translation of Caesar's account of the Gallic wars, with large and striking engravings. Duncan was a professor at the University of Aberdeen, where Caesar's characterization of the brawny and austere Celts appealed to intellectuals of the Scottish Enlightenment. Caesar's descriptions of the Druids—including the iconic plate depicting a Wicker Man—helped spark a growing interest in the pre-Roman history of Britain and laid the groundwork for the Celtic Revival. Several of the plates are copied from Harriot's A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia, in which the Indigenous inhabitants of Virginia are compared to the Picts. A large folding engraving depicts a buffalo, comparing it to European ungulates to illustrate Caesar's famous passage on the Unicorn. Condition: general toning and occasional browning. A few tears in places, mainly to margins, including with loss to the margin of an engraved plate. The large buffalo folding engraved plate, in very good order, seldom present. Folio, Contemporary calf (front board detached, rear joint starting).
420mm x 260mm
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
29% inc VAT*
Flat Fee Registration
26.00% inc VAT*
