The Theory and Practice Of Gardening: Wherein is fully handled All that relates to Fine Gardens, Commonly Called Pleasure-Gardens.; Consisting of Parterres, Groves, Bowling-Greens, & C. Containing Several Plans, and general Dispositions of Gardens, New Designs of Parterres, Groves, Grass-plots, Mazes, Banqueting Rooms, Galleries, Portico's, and Summer-houses of Arbour-work, Terrasses, Stairs, Fountains, Cascades, and other Ornaments of use in the Decoration and Embelishment of Garden, etc...
London: Bernard Lintot, 1728. Second edition. leather_bound. 297 numbered pages in text, Table of Contents, and three pages of adverts (Qq3-Qq4, Rr1-Rr4, Ss1-Ss2). Title printed in red and black. 38 double-page folding engraved plates of garden plans. The second edition "With very large Additions, and a new Treatise of Flowers and Orange-Trees," (from title page). English translation of the highly influential treatise on garden architecture and horticulture. Alexandre Le Blond added text and redesigned several plates, his name appears on the the title page along with that of the translator, John James. GOTHEIN [A History of Garden Art) notes, "Never before did a book lay down the principles of any style so surely and so intelligibly." FOWLER 170-171. Citing first French and English editions under Le Blond -- "This book, in which the methods of the great Le Notre were reduced to a system, remains to this day the standard authority on the formal garden." HENERY p.43. This second English edition has additional plates by H. Flecher. The quality of these engravings considered better than in the original French editions. Armorial bookplate of Thomas Mills on pastedown and Robert William Morgan on front free endpaper. Raised bands, red leather bookplate printed in gilt (some loss), rubbing and nicks to joints and spine, plates crisp and clean, text bright. Contemporary full speckled calf Cambridge style binding, rectangular front and back cover panels decorated in blind and corners. Very good. Item #21302
Price: $1,950.00