Early eighteenth-century public affairs

A Few passages, shewing the sentiments of the Prince of Hesse, and General Hawley. Sold at the pamphlet shops, 1746--[Willison, John]. A letter from a parochial bishop to a prelatical gentleman in Scotland, concerning the government of the church. Edinburgh: printed for Mr. James M’Euen, 1714--[Ollyffe, John]. An essay towards a comprehension. Or, a perswasive to unity amongst protestants. Printed for Fletcher Gyles, 1714. The second edition. [TWO COPIES IN THE UK ONLY, ACCORDING TO ESTC]--[Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-]. The man-hater unmasked, in a dialogue between Socrates, Alcibiades and Timon. By the Arch-bishop of Cambray. Edinburgh: Mr. Robert Freebairn, 1714. [ONE COPY IN THE UK ONLY, ACCORDING TO ESTC]--Haines, Henry. Treachery, baseness, and cruelty display’d to the full; in the Hardships and Sufferings of Mr. Henry Haines. Henry Haines, in the King’s-Bench Prison, 1740--A letter from a minister in the country, to one in the city. K----- 12th October, 1737. [Edinburgh?], 1737. [TWO COPIES IN THE UK ONLY, ACCORDING TO ESTC]--Lowe, Joseph. An inquiry into the state of the British West Indies. Fourth edition. C. & R. Baldwin: 1808. Authorial inscription on half-title--[Cowper, William, Earl]. A letter to Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq; occasion’d by the letter to the examiner. 1710--[D’Anvers, Caleb]. A short view of the state of affairs, with relation to Great-Britain, for four years past. R. Francklin, 1730--[Logan, George]. The lawfulness and necessity of ministers their reading the act of Parliament, for bringing to justice the murderers of Captain John Porteous. Edinburgh, 1737. In this issue the catchword on p. 3 is "done". Another issue has catchword "certainly" on p. 3.--Le repos. An epistle to the publick. [Edinburgh, 1737]--[Defoe, Daniel]. A seasonable expostulation with, and friendly reproof unto James Butler. S. Keimer, 1715--The supposal: or a new scheme of government. 1712--London Gazette. Supplement (11 May 1745). Whitehall, May 11, 1745. An account of the action between the allied army and that of France, near Tournay, the 11th of May, N.S. 1745. Edward Owen, 1745--An impartial review of two pamphlets lately published, one intituled, An apology for a late resignation: the other The resignation discussed, & c. M. Cooper, 1748; and many other works including letters and accounts of Scottish settlement at Darien, John Law, the White Staff, the South-Sea Company, the French East-India-Company, Charles the Prince of Wales, Eustace Budgell , Robert Earl of Oxford, the captivity of Henry Grace, the confinement and execution of Laurence Earl Ferrers, The Barrier-Treaty, the murder of Captain John Porteus; 4to or 8vo; eighteenth century quarter calf, marbled boards, bindings worn, some staining and browning, scattered pen notes in some volumes (17)

The Forbes Baronetcy was created in 1626 for Sir William Forbes (d. circa 1650) by James VI in the Barontage of Nova Scotia. The majority of the works offered here were acquired by the sixth Baronet, also William (1739-1806), who added Pitsligo to his title in 1781. He was an eminent Scottish banker and benefactor, good friend of James Boswell and Samuel Johnson (see lots 45-46), and finally succeeded in recovering the Pitsligo estates forfeited after the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. His son William, the seventh baronet, beat Sir Walter Scott to the hand of the renowned beauty Williamina Belsches Stuart (1776-1810), and it was with their marriage that the family moved to her family seat, Fettercairn House in Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire.

One of the sixth baronet’s acquisitions for his library at Pitsligo were numerous highly important miscellanies and tract volumes, many of which were purchased as a set from Edinburgh bookseller Elphinstone Balfour in October 1786. These were subsequently supplemented by further contemporary tracts and other works from the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century. Most of these miscellanies bear a nineteenth century Forbes family bookplate.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing unless otherwise stated
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."