Flamsteed (John) Historia Coelestis libri duo quorum prior exhibet catalogum stellarum fixarum Britannicum... Oservante... in Observatorio Regio Grenovicensi continua serie ab anno 1676 ad annum 1705 completum, first edition, engraved frontispiece by George Vertue after J.B. Catenaro, engraved dedication by Guernier after Catenaro, engraved headpieces and 4 engraved plates, errata leaf at end, title slightly browned, I1 small tear in margin repaired not affecting text, 3P2 small splash mark in margin, 401 paper flaw in lower margin, 4Z1 small tear in lower margin, 5B1 and F1 small piece of corner torn away, some slight staining in some margins and fly-leaf, E.H. Columbine's copy with his ink signature at head of title, a few 18th century ink notes in margins of catalogue of fixed stars at beginning, another note in Latin on fly-leaf, bound in contemporary panelled calf, with the gilt arms of Queen Anne on both covers (this binding must date from 1712-14 as Queen Anne died in 1714), slightly rubbed, corners and edges repaired, some ink marks on covers, rebacked with the original spine laid down, red morocco label on spine, [Babson 329; Crawford f. 189; Gingerich Rara astronomica 49], J. Mathews, 1712.

⁂ The most important work of eighteenth century astronomy in the extremely rare "surreptitious" edition produced by Edmund Halley. The British Catalogue at the beginning of this work lists thousands of stars and was the most extensive and comprehensive list to date. The history of this edition is fraught with controversy in which Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley secured the publication of this work much against Flamsteed's wishes. Concerned that the edition had amended his work, Flamsteed after the death of Queen Anne in 1714 retrieved 300 of the 400 copies printed and destroyed them: "I made a sacrifice of them to heavenly truth" (Bailey p. 101). He subsequently disposed of any other copies he came across; Gingerich states that only 60 copies survived.

Provenance: Edward Henry Columbine (1763-1811), hydrographer and colonial governor; ?Sotheby's Catalogue of the Valuable Library Removed From, The Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, Tuesday, 7th May, 1935 (identified as the same copy with the arms of Queen Anne).