89
performed the miracles recorded in the bible. it was intended as a bouleversement of the rationalist sceptic position, using hume’s method against himself. it was a popular success, demonstrating a capacity for satire (it included a history of napoleon in parody of the bible) which in later life he sought to curb’. the work’s success led to numerous reprints and new editions throughout the author’s life, and this (although not marked as such), is the thirteenth edition and the last to appear in the author’s lifetime. postscripts accrued to the work through the various editions, and this has the full complement of those to the third, seventh, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth editions, together with a final one dated 1860 (a year after the title-page’s date).
315.WHISTLER, Rex. rex Whistler’s War. 1939-July 1944 Artist into tank commander. A National Army Museum Publication. 1994.
£48
4to., original wrappers. illustrated in colour and black and white. A fine copy.
313
313. WEST, Michael. clair de lune and other troubadour romances by michael West. pictured by evelyn paul music by Afred mercer. George Harrap & Co. [1913].
£148
4to., original cloth lettered in gilt on spine and upper board, with gilt panels enclosing leaping stylized deer on upper board. 8 full colour plates (illuminated with gold or silver) and 8 tipped in full colour illustrations, plus numerous black and tan wood cut illustrations and frontispiece, title page and contents page illuminations (silver, gold, blue, tan, green and black). A very good copy.
first edition, in addition to clair de lune, some of the other tales included are: lady linette, the romance of little peter, the lonely isle and belle Alise. there are 12 stories in total. the book was printed at the cheylesmore presse, coventry, by W. W. curtis ltd..
the definitive edition of WhAtely’s ‘bold, ironic AttAck on hume’s essAy on mirAcles’
314. [WHATELY, Richard.] historic doubts relative to napoleon buonaparte. London: Savill and Edwards for John W. Parker and Son, ‘1859’ [?but 1860, vide infra].
£150
8vo (208 x 137mm). contemporary dark-green pebble-grained cloth, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, chocolate-brown endpapers; pp. 79, [1 (blank)]; extremities very lightly rubbed, very slight cracking on upper hinge, some light marginal browning and light marking, otherwise a very good copy.
thirteenth edition and definitive final text. An important and enjoyable philosophical work by Whately (1787-1863), a graduate of oriel college, oxford, who remained in the city after his studies, working as a private tutor (odnb describes him as ‘a dedicated,
if unconventional,
teacher’). Whately became one of the leading figures in the noetic
school of Anglican apologetics based at oxford, until his appointment as protestant Archbishop of dublin in 1831. Historic Doubts Relative to Napoleon Buonaparte (1819), was Whately’s first substantial work, and is judged by the odnb to be ‘a characteristic production with regard to both intellectual purpose and author. it was a bold, ironic attack on hume’s essay on miracles, in which he sought to weigh the evidence for the existence and exploits of napoleon in order to demonstrate that proof of the existence of the exceptional can only ever amount to a probability, relying as it does on testimony and not experience. but, he argued, if it were accepted that napoleon existed, in the absence of any prejudice against religion, there was equally no reason to doubt that christ had
second edition of this catalogue produced to accompany the exhibition at the national Army museum, curated by Jenny spencer-smith, with a foreword by laurence Whistler.
treAsure islAnd meets the sWord in the stone
316.WHITE, T.H. the master. An Adventure story. Jonathan Cape. 1957.
£798 8vo., original cloth with very slightly rubbed dust wrapper.
first edition, inscribed by the author to his editor Patricia Howard , with an original ink drawing by White captioned “With love from the author to pat howard who practically re-wrote the book by cutting out all the long words”. Additionally signed by White on the title-page.
“[White’s] new novel is an exciting straightforward narrative, its tone recalling (if a comparison may be risked) Treasure Island. its setting is indeed an island [rockall], a small, lonely, but not deserted one: it is inhabited, as the twins who chance to be marooned there soon discover, not by savages but by super-civilized beings. the adventures in which they become involved are marvellous but not incredible”. White dedicated the book to the memory of robert louis stevenson.
315
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