The History Of The Arts and Sciences Of The Antients, Under the following Heads: ... By Mr. Rollin, late Principal of the University of Paris, now Professor of Eloquence in the Royal College, and Member of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres. Translated from the French. Illustrated with Copper Plates. Vol. I. (II.) (XII.) (XIII.)
London:: Printed for John and Paul Knapton, at the Crown, in Ludgate-street., M DCC XXXVII. (-M DCC XXXIX.)
Physical Description
4 vols.; 202 mm. (Octavo.)
General Note
Vol. I: [24], cxvi, 296 p., [12] pl. (all fold.). Plates [1, 2, 4-10] carry the numbers 'Vol. XI ... Plate I-IX' and additionally the captions of plates [4-10] are numbered I-VII. - Vol. II: [8], 304 p., [40] pl. (all fold.) Plates [3-36] are numbered XI-XXXXIV, and pl. [39, 40] are numbered XLVII, XLVIII. - Vol. XII: [14], 467, [1] p. - Vol. XIII: [10], 374, [2] p.
Contents
Vol. I: [General t.-p. for whole work, t.p., dedic.(by translator)] - The Translator To The Reader - The Author To The Reader - Contents - Directions to the Binder for placing the Prints, in Mr. Rollin's History of the Arts and Sciences, &c. Vol. I. (II.) - [Text (Chapters I-VI and Book XXIII), with pl.]. - Vol. II: [T.p.] - Contents - [Text, with pl.]. - Vol. XII: [T.p., dedic. (by Rollin), dedic. (by John Stacie)] - The Contents - [Text]. - Vol. XIII: [T.p.] - The Author's Advertisement To The Reader - The Contents - [Text]. - Chronological Table - General Index ... - Lately Published ... Printed for John and Paul Knapton ...
Responsibility Note
In Volume I all twelve plates are signed as engraved by J. Basire, apart from pl. [3], which is signed as engraved by W.H. Toms, pl. [11], which is signed as drawn and engraved by B. Baron, and pl. [12], which is unsigned. All plates in Volume II are signed as engraved by W.H. Toms, except pl. [1], [15-19], i.e. XXIII-XXVII, [28] i.e. XXXVI, [37, 38] and [39, 40] i.e. XLVII, XLVIII, which are unsigned.
A publisher's imprint appears on one plate in Volume I (no. [3], facing p. 32): 'Publish'd Octr. 16th. 1738. by J. & P. Knapton'.
In Volume I the translation is dedicated by the translator to Dr. Richard Mead. In Volume XII the work is dedicated by the author, C. Rollin, to the Duke of Chartres, and there is a second dedication, by John Stacie (the translator?) to Kingsmill Evans.
References
ESTC, N17529
Summary Note
The title of Vol. I continues, 'Agriculture, Commerce, Architecture and Architects, Sculpture and Sculptors, Painting and Painters, Musick and Musicians, the Art Military'; that of Vol. II., 'The Art Military, Grammar and Grammarians, Philology and Philologers, Rhetorick and Rhetoricians, Sophists'; that of Vol. XII, 'Poetry and Poets; History, and Historians; Eloquence, and Orators: Philosophy and Philosophers, of all the different Sects; and Of The Civil Law'; that of Vol. XIII, 'Metaphysics and Physics: Physic, and Physicians; Botany, Chymistry, Anatomy: Mathematics, and Mathematicians; Geometry, Astronomy, and Astronomers; Arithmetic, &c. Geography, and Geographers: Navigation, and Chronology'. The title-plate for the whole work reads, 'The History Of The Arts and Sciences Of The Antients, Under the following Heads: In Four Volumes. Vol. I. Agriculture, Commerce, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Musick, the Art Military. Vol. II. Grammar, Philology, Rhetorick. Vol. III. Poetry, History, Eloquence, Philosophy, Civil Law. Vol. IV. Metaphysics and Physics, Physic, Botany, Chymistry, Anatomy, Mathematics, Geometry, Astronomy, Arithmetic, Geography, Navigation, and Chronology. By Mr. Rollin ... Translated ... Illustrated with Fifty-two Copper Plates ... '.
The text is an English translation of passages from Charles Rollin's Histoire ancienne (volumes IX-XII?).
The plates of Volume I show: [1]/Vol. XI. Pl. I. 'Plans And Elevations Of The Five Orders Of Architecture'; [2]/Vol. XI. Pl. II. 'Machines of Ctesiphon, Metagenes and Paconius'; [3] 'A View of the City & Port of Alexandria & Isle of Pharos'; [4]/Vol. XI. Pl. III. ''I. Temple of Fortune near the Porta Collina at Rome'; [5]/Vol. XI. Pl. IV. 'II. Temple of Ceres & Proserpine at Eleusis'; [6]/Vol. XI. Pl. V. 'III. Temple of Concord at Rome'; [7]/Vol. XI. Pl. VI. 'IV. Temple of Venus & Honour at Rome'; [8]/Vol. XI. Pl. VII. 'V. Temple of Diana in the City of Magnesia'; [9]/Vol. XI. Pl. VIII. 'VI. Temple of Diana at Ephesus'; [10]/Vol. XI. Pl. IX. 'VII. Temple of Jupiter Olimpius at Athens'; [11] 'Fragmentum picturæ veteris ...'; [12] 'Roman Camp'. The plates of Volume II show a Roman trophy, a Roman triumph, various Roman military machines and a Roman naval column.
Provenance
Acquired by 1802. Recorded in A Catalogue Of The Library In The Royal Academy, London (1802).
Binding Note
18th-century sheep, gilt-decorated spines, red morocco spine-labels lettered 'Rollin's Arts & Sciences', spines lettered 'I (-4)'.
Subject
Arts - Science - Architecture - Military engineering - Greeks - Romans - Greece - Rome - Middle East - Civilization - History
Art history - France - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century