- 306
(Donne, John)
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
- Adam Blackwood. Adversus Georgii Buchanani Dialogum, de jure regni apud Scotos, pro regibus apologia. Poitiers: Franciscus Pagaeus, 1581
- printed book
4to (7 1/4 x 5 3/8 in.; 186 x 135 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces; light browning. Contemporary limp vellum; ties lost.
Provenance
John Donne (Signature and motto on title-page) — Arthur Kay (Sotheby's London, 26 May 1930, lot 96) — Mr. Grant (note from Geoffrey Keynes) — John Sparrow (booklabel). acquisition: John Sparrow, ca. 1972
Literature
Adams B2092; Grolier/Donne 113; Keynes, Donne L27
Condition
4to (7 1/4 x 5 3/8 in.; 186 x 135 mm). Woodcut printer's device on title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces; light browning. Contemporary limp vellum; ties lost.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
John Donne's copy, with his signature ("J: Donne") and Italian motto on the title-page. This is Blackwood's major work, a sharp denunciation of George Buchanan's De jure regni apud Scotos (Edinburgh, 1579), which attempted to justify the forced abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots. Relatively few pages show evidence of Donne's characteristic pencil markings, although the topic was of interest to him: his library also included William Barclay's refutation of Buchanan, De regno et regali potestate adverus Buchananum (Paris, 1600). The volume is beautifully preserved in its original limp vellum, which Keynes states was Donne's "favourite form of binding."
Laid into the volume are notes by Geoffrey Keynes, 17 March 1939, to a Mr. Grant, attesting to the authenticity of Donne's signature and motto, and by Christopher Lawson, undated to John Sparrow, offering an explication of Donne's motto.