Subject Highlights

English and, to a lesser extent, French literature is represented by a number of interesting editions. If there are no Shakespeare quartos or folios, there are nevertheless other notable editions ranging fromSteevenstoBoydelland including illustrations by Cardigan-born J.K.草地。的re are two copies of the 1561 edition of Chaucer (one with a unique imprint), and three incomplete editions of Holinshed's Chronicles (1548).We hold a considerable collection of early editions of and commentaries on John Milton, as Bishop Burgess was a particular admirer.Other treasures includethe first edition ofGulliver's Travels(London,1726)和Bensleyedition of Young'sNight Thoughtsillustrated byWilliamBlake, (London, 1797).

British history is represented by several early classic works, and the topography of Britainis prominent.Camden'sBritannia, for instance, appears not only in the octavos of the late sixteenth century but also in the folios of the succeeding English language editions of Philemon Holland, Edmund Gibson and Richard Gough. There are several notable county histories fromKilburne'sworks onKent and Plot's的natural history of Oxford-shire(Oxford, 1677)to theBrayleyand Britton set ofBeauties of England and Wales,(London, 1801-1816)-mostly in original blue-wrapperedsubscription parts.For northern Britain, we hold Alexander Gordon’sItinerariumseptentrionale(London,1727) and for northernEurope,a Venetian edition (1565) ofOlausMagnus’sHistoriadellegentietdellanaturacosesettentrionali, andRudbeck'sAtlantica(Uppsala,1679).

的Silver Age of exploration and travel is one of the subject highlights of the collection, largely a reflection of Thomas Phillips’ interests. Cook, Vancouver, La Perouse, Cartaret, Pallas, Humboldt, Denham, Dalrymple, Clapperton, Ross, Parry, Franklin, Bruce, Burton and Menon are some of the better known names in the collection.

 Atlases, for example those of Strabo, Ptolemy, Ortelius, and Mercator, and works containing important maps such as Munster'sCosmographieUniverselle(Paris, 1575) are to be found. Some of these are highly specialised in a regional context, for example Jeffrey'sWest-India Atlas(London, 1775) and Chauchard'sA General map of the empire of Germany(London, 1800). Speed, Blome, Ogilby, Morden, Kitchin, Cary, Arrowsmith, Stockdale, Dix and Darton are other cartographers with work in the collection.

We hold a number of superb volumes of architectural plans and drawings. From Robert Adam, we possessRuins of the palace of the Emperor Diocletian atSpalatroin Dalmatia(London,1764) and的works in architecture of Robert and James Adam(London,1778-9).MatthewBrettingham’s的plans, elevationsand sections, ofHolkhamin Norfolk(London,1773) is representative of Palladianism,E.W.Brayley’sIllustrations of Her Majesty’s Palace at Brighton(London,1838) of orientalismand William Chamber’sDesseinsdes edifices,meubles, habits, machines, etustencilesdes Chinois(London,1757) ofchinoiserie.

的history of science is chronicled by holdings of early editions of Galen, Euclid, Pliny, Gesner, Paracelsus, Hooke and Boyle. Works of natural history are particularly well represented,withseventeenth and eighteenth century herbals and floras a feature. The earliest herbal isDeviribusherbarum(Geneva, 1498).We hold Thomas Pennant’s magnificentBritish zoology(London,1768-70), also hisSynopsis of quadrupeds(Chester,1771).Early nineteenth century geological literature (often, seemingly, bought by clerics) is an interesting sub-group crowned by Murchison's elegantSilurian System(London, 1839).

的Celtic world is naturally a principle interest, topographical works relating to Wales being prominent. Language dictionaries are present too, from the seminalDictionariumDuplex(London, 1632) and Lhuyd'sArchaeologia(Oxford, 1707) to dictionaries of Gaelic, Irish, Breton and Cornish.

Another highlight is the collection of some 800 nineteenth century Welsh ballads purchased in 1904 as part of the Cenarth Collection.