THE FIRST AND ONLY ENGLISH EDITION OF THE FINEST BRITISH BOOK ON EQUITATION
A General System of Horsemanship in all its Branches: Containing a Faithful Translation Of that most noble and useful Work of his Grace, William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, [...]. With All the original Copper-Plates, in Number forty-three, which were engrav'd by the best Foreign Masters, under his Grace's immediate Care and Inspection, and which are explained in the different Lessons. London: J. Brindley, 1743, two vols in one, folio.
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FIRST ENGLISH EDITION of William Cavendish's General System of Horsemanship, here with both volumes bound into one folio binding, complete with the fine engraved double page title, all 62 engraved plates, including 42 double-page plates and 20 anatomical plates, two of which are double-page, and numerous woodcut engravings throughout the text.
"A General System of Horsemanship (1743) is one of the greatest books ever written on equestrianism by an Englishman. It is a work of art, full of interest and fascinating detail and its author, William Cavendish, First Duke of Newcastle, was an expert horseman, a wise courtier, and a noble soldier. It was during his exile after the Civil War that he compiled and recorded his great work, the culmination of years of experience and exceptional skill "...stolen out of no book nor any man's practice but my own..." The 1743 edition is rightly prized as the most impressive and most comprehensive. It is large (over 500 pages approx. 18in x 12in), beautifully illustrated with spectacular plates by Van Diepenbeke and has the addition of a volume of veterinary information."
(Nottingham Court Press, 1980)
"In case you should be feeling like just skimming through the pages of this...book - possibly thinking that it looks rather ponderous and probably of no relevance to modern equitation, I would suggest you take a closer look. It is not only written as a text book, but also contains many amusing references and observations of both men and horses which are thoroughly modern."
(Princess Anne, UK Royal Family)
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Provenance:
Ownership inscription of Dr Joseph Hume (1777-1855), Hamilton, 1804, a famous and historically significant Scottish surgeon and radical MP.
Bookplate of Merthyr Guest to front pastedown, covering an earlier bookplate, possibly that of the above.
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Size: 305 x 473 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(4), bifold title, main title, (iii)-viii, pp.(11)-142, 4pp., title page, 138pp., 14pp., (4)]
Contemporary full calf , spine finely tooled in gilt in compartments between raised bands, retains the original tooled olive morocco label. Binding rubbed with minor losses, splits at extremities of spine. Both boards are securely attached with joints rubbed. Damage to corners. Structurally secure, stands without shelf lean. Page edges very good. Original marbled endpapers, two fairly small bookplates overlaid to front pastedown. A few inscriptions of Joseph Hume to front blanks. Generally very clean throughout the text block, one on blank recto of engraved bifold title. Last two blanks partially stuck together at head. Plates collate as complete, textual collation provided above (excludes plates except for double engraved title).
[ESTC T154435].
