Difference between revisions of "Philosophia Britannica"

Revision as of 12:04, 6 October 2014

Philosophia Britannica: or, A New and Comprehensive System of the Newtonian Philosophy, Astronomy, and Geography, in a Course of Twelve Lectures, with Notes

by Benjamin Martin

Philosophia Britannica
Title page from Philosophia Britannica, volume one, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary.
Author	Benjamin Martin
Editor	{{{editor}}}
Translator	{{{trans}}}
Published	London: Printed for John, Francis, Charles Rivington; and Thomas Carnan
Date	1788
Edition	Fourth
Language	English
Volumes	3 volume set
Pages	{{{pages}}}
Desc.	8vo. (21 cm.)
Location	[[Shelf {{{shelf}}}]]
	[[Shelf {{{shelf2}}}]]

Armorial bookplate, front pastedown, volume three.

Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

Listed in the Jefferson Inventory of Wythe's Library as "Martin’s Philosophia Britannica. 3.v. 8vo." and given by Thomas Jefferson to his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph. We do not have enough information to conclusively identify which edition Wythe owned. George Wythe's Library^[1] on LibraryThing indicates this, adding "Three-volume editions in octavo were published at London in 1759, 1771, and 1788." The Brown Bibliography^[2] lists the second (1712) edition based on the copy Jefferson sold to the Library of Congress^[3] Because we do not know which edition Wythe owned, and because not all editions were available for purchase, the Wolf Law Library acquired a copy of the fourth (1788) edition.

Inscription, front flyleaf, volume two.

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

Bound in contemporary speckled calf with red morocco gilt-lettered title labels and gilt-decorated red and black morocco volume labels. Includes the armorial bookplate of Ellis Wade, M.A., Rector of Blaxhall on the front pastedown of each volume. Volume two includes the inscription "Given by Rev. Wade to E. J. Denton of St. John's College Cambridge" on the front free endpaper.

Find this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

References

1. ↑ LibraryThing, s.v. "Member: George Wythe", accessed on November 18, 2013.
2. ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012, rev. May, 2014.) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433
3. ↑ E. Millicent Sowerby, Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 2nd ed. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983), 4:31 [no.3728].