Beschreibung:

HARRISON, JOHN. The Principles of Mr. Harrison's Time-Keeper, with plates of the same. Published by Order of the Commissioners of Longitude. London: W. Richardson and S. Clark for J. Nourse and Mount & Page 1767. Edited by Nevil Maskelyne. FIRST EDITION. 10 folding engraved plates. Grolier/Horblit 42b ("Description of the famous solution to the centuries-old world-wide problem of finding the longitude"). The Board of Longitude offered a reward of #20,000 in 1714 to anyone who could accurately determine longitude at sea. Harrison, a clockmaker, son of a carpenter and with little formal education, rose to the challenge by constructing a working model of his "time-keeper" in 1735 and refined it successively in 1739, 1749 and 1759, testing each model himself, or with the help of his son William, on ocean voyages. Payment of the reward money was made conditional upon publication of an explanation of the invention and Harrison's inability to express himself in writing led him into an association with Nevil Maskelyne, the astronomer-royal who was appointed with six experts to form a panel of judges by the Board of Longitude. Harrison argued with Maskelyne that the latter was so intent on making use of lunar tables as to disregard his mechanical inventions. From 1737, when he received #500 of the reward, until 1765, Harrison's skill was recompensed by various instalment payments, leading up to the publication of Principles in 1766. It was not until 14 June 1773, after he had constructed a fifth watch the previous year, that Parliament granted him the remaining #8,570 of the reward, at the direct intervention of King George III. [ With :] BIRD, JOHN. The Method of Dividing Astronomical Instruments... Published by Order of the Commissioners of Longitude. London:J. Nourse and Mount & Page 1767. Preface by Nevil Maskelyne. FIRST EDITION. 1 folding engraved plate by Bird (of 4, lacks nos. 1-3). [ With :] MASKELYNE, NEVIL. The British Mariner's Guide. Containing Complete and Easy Instructions for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea and Land, within a Degree, by Observations of the distance of the Moon from the Sun and Stars, taken with Hadley's Quadrant. To which are added, an Appendix, containing a Variety of interesting Rules and Directions, tending to the Improvement of Practical Navigation in general. And a Sett of correct Astronomical Tables. London: for the author 1763. FIRST EDITION. 04 a cancel. Pages XXXI/XXXII of the Tables with folded pastedown extension containing two lines of manuscript. [ With :] [BURTON, JOHN ("Phileleuthero Londinensi"). De conservatione virium vivarum dissertatio. London: R. Manby and H. Shute Cox 1744. FIRST EDITION. Half-title with engraved frontispiece on verso. First and last pages stained. Variously attributed to John Burton and James Jurin. Rare. [ With :] BOSSUT, CHARLES. Recherches sur les altérations que la résistance de l'éther peut produire dans le mouvement moyen des planetes. Charleville: Pierre Thesin 1766. FIRST EDITION. 1 engraved folding plate. Rare. 5 works bound together, 4to, 227 x 173mm. (8 15/16 x 6 7/8in.), contemporary green calf gilt, spine in compartments with four red morocco gilt-lettered labels, gilt Garter arms on sides of JOHN, THIRD EARL OF BUTE, yellow edges, joints broken but cords sound, corners worn, spine chipped. Sold as a collection not subject to return. Provenance : John Stuart third Earl of Bute (1713-1792), Prime Minister 1762-1763, elected Knight of the Garter in 1762, arms on binding -- John Crichton-Stuart, second Marquess of Bute (1795-1848), armorial bookplate -- Harrison D. Horblit, bookplate.