Inigo JONES on Stonehenge. Sir Andrew Fountaine’s Large Paper Copy

JONES, Inigo (1573-1652). The Most Notable Antiquity Of Great Britain, Vulgarly called Stone-heng, On Salisbury Plain, Restored, By Inigo Jones, Esq; Architect General to the King. To which are added, The Chorea Gigantum, Or, Stone-Heng Restored to the Danes, By Doctor Charleton; And Mr. Webb’s Vindication of Stone-Heng Restored, In Answer to Dr. Charleton’s Reflections; With Observations upon the Orders and Rules of Architecture in Use among the Antient Romans. Before the whole are prefixed, Certain Memoirs relating to the Life of Inigo Jones; with his Effigies, Engrav’d by Hollar; as also Dr. Charlton’s, by P. Lombart; and four new Views of Stone-Heng, in its present Situation: With above twenty other Copper-Plates, and a compleat Index to the entire Collection.

London:: Printed for D. Browne Junior, at the Black-Swan without Temple-Bar, and J. Woodman and D. Lyon, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden., M.DCC.XXV

Three parts in one (Folio)

Each of the three works has also its own title-page, reading as follows: (1) ‘The Most Notable Antiquity Of Great Britain, Vulgarly called Stone-Heng, On Salisbury Plain, Restored. By Inigo Jones, Esq: Architect General to the Late King. The Second Edition. London: Printed for D. Browne Junior, at the Black-Swan without Temple-Bar, and J. Woodman and D. Lyon, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden. M.DCC.XXV.’; (2) ‘Chorea Gigantum: Or, The Most Famous Antiquity Of Great Britain, Vulgarly called Stone-Heng, Standing on Salisbury-Plain, Restored to the Danes. By Walter Charleton, MD and Physician in Ordinary to His Majesty. The Second Edition. London: Printed for D. Browne Junior, at the Black-Swan without Temple-Bar, and J. Woodman and D. Lyon, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden. M.DCC.XXV.’; (3) ‘A Vindication of Stone-Heng Restored: In which the Orders and Rules Of Architecture Observed by the Ancient Romans, Are Discussed … By John Webb … The Second Edition. London: Printed for G. Conyers, J. and B. Sprint, B. Lintot, D. Browne Junior, J. Woodman and D. Lyon. M.DCC.XXV.’

Engraved frontispiece portrait of Inigo Jones is signed ‘Anth: van Dycke Eques pinxit, W: Hollar fecit aqua forte’, engraved portrait of Walter Charleton is signed as engraved by Pierre Lombart, title printed in red and black, 9 folding or double-page engraved plates, 3 single-page plates, 12 engravings in the text. The four folding plates preceding Jones’s text are signed as drawn by J. Hassell (or Hassal) and engraved by E. Kirkall. The other plates are unsigned. One woodcut text-illustration, wood-engraved printer’s devices, initials, in-text illustrations, head and tailpieces. The printer’s name in the colophon: ‘London: Printed by James Bettenham.’

The folding plates to the first part, together with the portraits of Jones and Charleton are browned and toned  (as they always are in this book when present). This book is rarely encountered with both portraits, all three separate titles and the complete set of plates intact. It even more unusual to find with an exceptional binding as with this copy.

Impressive contemporary calf binding, covers with small roll-tooled gilt border with foliate corner-pieces, gilt spine, red speckled edges. Crazed, mottled and splotched pattern on the covers – the diluted acid solution or dye applied to the leather in the 18th-century to produce this decorative effect has bitten into the leather creating an uneven surface.  No flaking and completely stable.   The binding has been discreetly and minimally strengthened at the joints. The red morocco lettering-piece looks more recent.

The binding’s most delightful aspect are the decorative elements along the spine: divided into seven compartments, one with lettering-piece, the six others embellished with the repeat gilt elephant emblem of Sir Andrew Fountaine – this tool variant has the elephant’s trunk turned upwards.  The eight Fountaine “Elephant” variants have not been attributed to any specific binder.  Although somewhat worn and rubbed, this is a binding with great presence on the shelf.

It was commissioned by Sir Andrew Fountaine (1676-1753) – one of the most esteemed connoisseurs and collectors of the eighteenth century who served as Vice-Chamberlain to Princess (later Queen) Caroline and as Master of the Mint (succeeding Sir Isaac Newton).  Between 1702 and 1714, Sir Andrew’s taste was greatly influenced by two substantial Grand Tours where he became a confident of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany.  During his travels he refined his “great erudition, knowledge and experience” acquiring a vast collection destined for his stately residence in Norfolk, Narford Hall.

A selection of “valuable books & manuscripts from the celebrated library of Sir Andrew Fountaine, of Narford Hall, Norfolk, assembled during the reigns of Queen Anne and Kings George I and II : comprising very rare English books and tracts of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries (chiefly poets and dramatists)” … : was sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge over 3 days days in 1902

Housed in an attractive archival box made by Sean E. Richards of Byzantium Studios.

An exceptional LARGE PAPER COPY (14 inches tall, so 2 or more inches taller than regular paper).  Except for the browning of the two portraits and the folding plates to Part 1, this is a virtually pristine copy within with the pages bright and fresh.  In addition this copy has a superb provenance and is beautifully bound.

This is the second edition of Inigo Jones’ posthumous treatise on Stonehenge; first publication of Dr. Walter Charleton’s rebuttal to Jones, and John Webb’s attempted vindication of Jones.  Webb, Jones’s protege and relative by marriage, compiled the first edition of 1655 using Jones’s notes.

This work is also important for appending at the front of the volume an expanded biography of Inigo Jones: Certain Memoirs relating to the Life of Inigo Jones – promoting Jones’s position at the centre of British classicism.