A Catalogue of the Petyt Library at Skipton, Yorkshire

Coulthurst Trust, Gargrave, first edition, 1964. Cloth, 4to, 29 cm,. [5], 417 pp. A catalogue of the library established early in the 17th century at Skipton and based on bequests and donations from Silvester and William Petyt. There are about 5,500 entries representing perhaps 4,000 works, since everything is analytically catalogued and cross-referenced in detail. The books are overwhelmingly English and the latest date of publication is 1710. A contemporary review noted that "The majority relate to the theological controversies of the later seventeenth century, with a sprinkling of S.T.C. books. Thus works by Baxter, Prynne, Burnet, and Joseph Hall are numerous, as are Civil War and Commonwealth tracts, though other subjects are represented: such as history (Holinshed, Heylyn, Camden, Froissart, Grimestone); geography (Purchas, Mercator, Brunei); science (Hartlib, Evelyn, John Harris), to take a few. Literature of any sort is scarce, though editions of Chaucer, Cowley, Davenant, Jonson, and Milton can be found as well as translations of Tacitus, Rabelais, Camoes, and Ovid. Small 'FSL dupl.' stamp at foot of rear pastedown endpaper, otherwise Very Good ina rubbed and marked slipcase with a short split to one upper edge.