Author: Pliny the Elder.
Title: THE HISTORIE OF THE WORLD. Commonly called, the naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor in Physicke.
Description: London, Printed by Adam Islip, 1601. 1st Ed. First Issue of Holland translation. Folio. 2 vols. in 1. [xxviii] + 614pp. + [54] + 632pp. + [86]. Large woodcut devices to title pages, dec. initial letters and dec. head and tail pieces including some figurative. [Lacking blanks]. Signatures Nniii & Nniiii reinforced to ragged edges not affecting text; title page to first volume with loss of 3cm. across head thus lacking xylographic title and with loss either side of ‘The First Tome’ and rebacked; crisp copy with occasional rust marks, minor faults, sm. worm holes to tail of rear table, blind ownership stamp of D. Wyndham Smith to front f.e.p., contemporary armorial binding, full calf tooled in gilt to boards with intricate gilt armorial device to centre of boards, some wear and scratching, rebacked with much of original spine laid down, gilt motifs and gilt tooled raised bands to spine. ¶ Ex-libris John Trollope, 1st Baron Kesteven PC (1800–1874), known as Sir John Trollope, Bt, between 1820 and 1868, was a British Conservative politician. He served as President of the Poor Law Board in the Earl of Derby's short-lived 1852 Conservative administration. Trollope was the son of Sir John Trollope, 6th Baronet, and Anne, daughter of Henry Thorold. He was the elder brother of General Sir Charles Trollope and the Right Reverend Edward Trollope and the second cousin of the novelist Anthony Trollope. He was educated at Eton and later served with the 10th Hussars, achieving the rank of captain. ESTC S115918 ‘A translation, by Philemon Holland, of: Pliny the Elder. Naturalis historia. Volume 2 has separate dated title page, pagination and register. First word of title is xylographic [lacking]. Signatures: pi6 [par.]4 a-b6 A8 B-3I6 3K4; A-3G6 3H4 3I-3O6 3P8. The first leaf and the last leaf are blank [lacking in our copy] Includes indexes. With a final errata leaf. STC (2nd ed.), 20029; Pforzheimer, 496.’ First published in Venice in 1469, The 'Natural History’ was considered by many historians to be the first Encylopaedia. Pliny’s final work, it comprised 37 books. His sources were personal experience, his own prior works (such as the work on Germania), and extracts from other works. One of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman Empire and it was intended to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny. He claimed to be the only Roman ever to have undertaken such a work. Encompassing the fields of botany, zoology, astronomy, geology, and mineralogy, as well as the exploitation of those resources. It remains a standard work for the Roman period and the advances in technology and understanding of natural phenomena at the time. Philemon Holland (1552–1637), Translator. ‘... This encyclopaedia of ancient knowledge about the natural world had already had a great indirect influence in England, as elsewhere in Europe, but had not been translated into English before, and would not be again for 250 years. Indeed, after four centuries, Holland is still the only translator of this work to attempt to evoke its literary richness and beauty ...’ ODNB

Keywords: NATURAL HISTORY; GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY


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