Sir William Pickering’s copy.- Appianus, Alexandrinus. Des guerres des Rommains, Livres XI, woodcut decorative initials, ruled throughout in red, occasional early ink marginalia (in French or Latin) and underlining, lacking final ?blank, early pen trials to title, lower margins water-stained, g8 piece from outer margin, occasional spotting or light staining, lightly browned, new endpapers, contemporary calf with gilt arms of Sir William Pickering to covers bearing motto 'Hasta Quando Senor' (with some hand-colouring in red), gilt double fillet borders to covers, sympathetically rebacked, preserving much of original backstrip in compartments (central small gilt flower to 3 of these) and chipped red morocco label, corners repaired, rubbed and scuffed, 8vo, Paris, [René Avril for] Guillaume Cavellat, 1552.

⁂ Sir William Pickering’s copy of this scarce edition of Appian's history of Rome's wars. The volume was later gifted by a 17th century woman.

Provenance: Sir William Pickering of Oswaldkirk in the North Riding of Yorkshire (1516-1575), Gentleman in Waiting to Henry VIII, courtier of Elizabeth I and variously Ambassador to France, The Netherlands and Germany. His library reflected a particular interest in modern languages and after his death passed to Edward (later Lord Wotton of Marley; the son of his friend Thomas Wotton) upon his marriage to Pickering's illegitimate daughter Hester. Some books passed down through the female line to the Stanhope family and were eventually sold by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Sotheby's 8th April, 1919. For more on Pickering and his unusual coats of arms see https://armorial.bibsoc.org.uk/stamp-owners/PIC001.html, see in particular 'Stamp 1'; ‘Liber Guilelmi Styli ex dono...Jane Genour’, ?William Style (c.1599-1679), law reporter and legal writer. The Jenours and Styles seem to have been related in marriage (early ink inscription to head of title); 'September 20 1674, John ?Severin his book, Cost 3 Shill' (ink inscription to verso of title).