NAPIER, A PLAINE DISCOVERY OF THE WHOLE REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN, EDINBURGH, 1593, LATER RED MOROCCO GILT

4to (185 x 125mm.), title within woodcut border, woodcut armorial on verso of title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces, early nineteenth-century straight-grained red morocco gilt, gilt edges, O6 supplied from another shorter copy, 2 small rustholes on S3, occasional light staining, extremities slightly rubbed

"Ex libris Joannis Row", inscription on title-page (?John Row, 1568-1646, MA Edinburgh 1590, or his son, 1598-1672); Lord Napier (i.e. Francis, 8th Lord Napier, 1758-1823), armorial bookplate, and inscription on verso of A1, "This is the original edition of my ancestor's Treatise on the Revelation of St John. Purchased at Ross's Auction Room, Edinburgh, 7th January 1806. Napier"; Robert B. Honeyman (1897-1987), salein these rooms, 10 November 1980, lot 2287, Erwin Tomash

Tomash & Williams N6; Aldis 242; STC 18354; Macdonald, Napier, p.109

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"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."

RARE. "The Plaine Discovery is an important text for anyone with an interest in Napier and his works because it explains the faith that governed his intellectual, public, and private lives. His hopes and fears, and those of his audiences, were reflected in the book, and the first shoots of his interest in mathematics that blossomed two decades later in the logarithms may be seen" (Alexander Corrigan, in The Life and Works of John Napier, Cham: Springer Verlag, 2017, p.63). Although the title-page is dated 1593, Napier's "Episle Dedicatorie" is dated "the 29. Daye of Ianuar. 1593" (i.e. 1594, as Scotland adopted 1 January as New Years Day in 1600). Later in 1594, a version was published by John Norton in London, which contained minor corrections (for publication history, see Macdonald pp.109-128, 166-167).

The outer sheet of quire B is in the first setting.