The British Herbal by Sir John Hill - 1756: An History of Plants and Trees, Natives of Britain

Very good copy of the rare first edition of John Hill's famous herbal with contemporary hand colour.

With engraved allegorical frontispiece showing Health receiving tribute from Asia, Africa and America by Samuel Wale engraved by Henry Roberts, engraved coat of arms of the Duke of Northumberland on dedication, and 75 engraved botanical plates all finely coloured in a contemporary 18th-century hand.

The 75 plates show approximately 1,500 species of plants, flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits, ferns, mushrooms, both native to Britain and foreign, all in distinctive 18th-century colour.

Plates drawn and engraved by Boyce, C. Edwards & Matthew Darly, Henry Roberts, R. Benning, etc.

Title page printed in red and black with allegorical vignette of Aesculapius and Flora gathering from the Lap of Nature by Samuel Wale, engraved by Charles Grignion.

Sir John Hill (1714–1775) was an English composer, actor, author and botanist. He contributed to contemporary periodicals and engaged in literary battles with poets, playwrights and scientists. His works include Urania 1754, The Family Herbal 1755, The British Herbal 1756, The Virtues of Honey 1759, The Vegetable System 1759, A Decade of Curious Insects 1776, etc.

20th century rebind in half green leather, gilt spine with five raised bands, black leather title label, green cloth boards, few scuffs to leather, new yellow endpapers. All plates with fine contemporary hand-colour, a few with slight age toning and slight water staining, one plate with neat repair, and six plates (Pl. 4, 6, 7, 14, 16, 22) mounted on backing paper. Inscription in ink on frontis "55 G. S. J." and on verso of final plate "George Sidney Jukes, Dudley" (Staffordshire).

Very good hand-coloured copy of this classic 18th century herbal.