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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Marsyas Mike, post: 7834026, member: 85693&quot;]This gives me an excuse to post, from my book collecting days, the world&#039;s worst 17th Century folio (14&quot; x 9&quot;) edition of Pliny&#039;s <i>Natural History </i>(or here<i>, L&#039; Histoire du Monde de C. Pline Second).</i> It is a partial, but still has a front board and a title page.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>According to the eBay seller I got this off of in &#039;08, this book was damaged in a Maine antique store fire.&nbsp;&nbsp; Whatever it was, something bad happened <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1346612[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>It doesn&#039;t look burnt to me - I suspect rodents (natural history indeed).&nbsp; But there is considerable water damage too, which usually means a fire:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1346611[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The rear &quot;title page&quot; is heavily damaged and detached; it may be from a different volume.&nbsp; A bit of an orphan, I put it in a frame and it hangs in the dining room - </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1346610[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>My efforts at bibliography: </p><p><br /></p><p>Front board with gilt wreath present, but attached by one cord, some old graffiti.&nbsp; No rear board.&nbsp; Spine and most of binding perished.&nbsp; Text damaged at upper left, damage grows worse as it proceeds through text (water and possible worm (?) damage), occasional old ink notes.&nbsp; Collation is as follows: </p><p><br /></p><p>(1) blank; (1) title; (2) dedicatory Ode; (3) “Salut” Epistre; (3) “Noms des Autheurs”; (16) “Des Poids, Mesures et Dimensions des Anceins”; (1) blank; (1-166) Text, as follows:&nbsp; pp. 1-5 Preface; pp. 6-26 Book I (“Sommaire,” dedication to Emperor, etc.); pp. 27-78 Book II; pp. 78-104 Book III; pp. 105-127 Book IV; pp. 128-155 Book V; 156-166 Book VI (incomplete).&nbsp; A single damaged leaf, apparently the final one from Index (Volume II?) was included; this has printer’s “imprimeur” information and is dated 1608.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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