Appendix C

Hooke’s manuscript lists of desiderata and the corresponding auction catalogues (listed chronologically by auction catalogue)

view as pdf

Royal Society, Cl.P/20/76, fol. 168v
[list noted on the verso of a lecture read on 20 July 1687; figs. 9 and 9a]
[18 April 1687, attributed to John Maitland]
Edward Millington, Bibliotheca selectissima, diversum librorum, viz. theologicorum, philologicorum, historicorum, mathemat. &c. . . . quorum auctio habebitur Londini . . . 18 die April. 1687 ([London]: Catalogues are given by Mr. Notts [and 6 others], 1687). [ESTC Citation No. R30928; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 1486:08]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, MS Sloane 1039, fols. 149r-v, 150r-v
[20 June 1687, library of Edward Wray]
William Cooper, Catalogus librorum bibliothecae instructissimae Eduardi Wray de Barling in comitatu Lincolniensis armigeri. Quorum auctio habenda est Londini . . . Junii 20. 1687 ([London]: The catalogues are ready to be distributed . . . at Mr. Sam. Carr’s . . . [and 2 others], [1687]). [ESTC Citation No. R220047; Early English Tract Supplement / D8:1[19]]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, MS Sloane 1039, fol. 143v (lower half of)
[31 October 1687, library of Thomas Jacomb] 1
Edward Millington, Bibliotheca Jacombiana, sive Catalogus variorum librorum plurimis facultatibus insignium instructissimae bibliothecae Rev. Doct. Thomae Jacomb, S.T.D. . . . quorum auctio habebitur Londini . . . 31 die Octobris 1687 ([London]: Catalogues are distributed at 6d. per catal. from Mr. Notts . . . [and 6 others], 1687). [ESTC Citation No. R32974; Early English Tract Supplement / D10:1[1]]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, MS Sloane 1039, fol. 143v (upper half of)
[21 November 1687, library of William Cecil, also attributed to Robert Bruce]
T[homas] Bentley and B[enjamin] Walford, Bibliotheca illustris, sive, Catalogus variorum librorum in quâvis linguâ & facultate insignium ornatissimae bibliothecae viri cujusdam praenobilis ac honoratissimi olim defuncti, libris rarissimis tam typis excusis quàm manuscriptis refertissimae: quorum auctio habebitur Londini . . . Novemb. 21. 1687 ([London]: T. Bentley & B. Walford, [1687]). [ESTC Citation No. R282; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 681:14; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 1734:08; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 1143:01]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, MS Sloane 1039, fol. 146r
[1 February 1687/8, library of Monsieur Massauve] 2
Edward Millington, Bibliotheca Massoviana: sive Catalogus variorum librorum in quavis lingua, & facultate prae-caeteris excellentium . . . quorum auctio habebitur Londini . . . primo die Februarii 1687/8 ([London]: Catalogues are distributed . . . by Mr. Bentley . . . [and 9 others], 168[8]). [ESTC Citation No. R30054; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 1446:15]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, MS Sloane 1039, fols. 144v, 145r-v, 147r-v, 148r-v
[13 February 1687/8, library of Robert Scott] 3
Benjamin Walford, Catalogus librorum Roberti Scott, bibliopolae regii Londinensis in quavis lingua & facultate insignium ex variis Europae partibus advectorum, quorum auctio habenda est Londini . . . decimo tertio die Februarii, 1687/8 ([London]: Catalogues are distributed by Mr William Nott . . . [and 11 others], [1688]). [ESTC Citation No. R20029; Early English Books, 1641-1700 / 578:06]
Available online via EEBO.

British Library, shelfmark S.C.117.(1.)
[manuscript pages inserted into another auction catalogue]
[21 May 1691]
John Bullord, A catalogue of books of two eminent mathematicians; consisting of a curious collection of history, divinity, philosophy; but chiefly the mathematicks. In Latin, English and French in all volumes. Which will be exposed to sale by way of auction, on Thursday next being the 21st of this instant May, 1691 . . . ([London]: Catalogues whereof are distributed . . . at Mr. Richard Parker’s . . . [and 4 others], [1691]). [ESTC Citation No. R230265; Early English Tract Supplement / D1:2[3]]
Available online via EEBO.

Appendix B ❮ back || next ❯ Illustrations

  1. Also attending this auction was Richard Lapthorne, the London agent purchasing books on behalf of Richard Coffin of Portledge. In his letter dated 10 December 1687, Lapthorne listed the lots he had procured; these and the lots on Hooke’s list of desiderata do not overlap so it is unlikely they competed against one another. A partial transcription of Lapthorne’s letter is available online. See also Michael Treadwell, ‘Richard Lapthorne and the London Retail Book Trade 1683-1697’, in The Book Trade and Its Customers, 1450-1990: Historical Essays for Robin Myers, ed. Giles Mandelbrote, Arnold Hunt, and Alison Shell (Winchester: St. Paul’s Bibliographies, 1997). []
  2. Lapthorne attended and purchased a number of books for Coffin at this auction. His bill, sent 9 June 1688, indicated 0-1-0 for “For collating ye books at Massov: auction,” as well as another 0-2-6 for collating the books purchased at Scott’s auction; see Lapthorne’s letter, available online, and ‘Richard Lapthorne’, pp. 210, 220n27. []
  3. Lapthorne purchased almost two dozen lots for Coffin from this auction of the bookseller Robert Scott’s collection, accomplished over a period of seven weeks; see ‘Richard Lapthorne’, p. 210. For a list of these books, see letter dated 21 April 1688, available online. It appears two books that were on Hooke’s list of desiderata were purchased by Lapthorne; these were Athanasius Kircher, Ars magna sciendi sive combinatoria (Amsterdam, 1669) and Jean-Jacques Boissard, Antiquitates Romanae in 3 volumes (Frankfurt, 1627). []