ROBERT BOYLE

[To view full details of THE WORKS ROBERT BOYLE, 1744 click the image on the left.]

The Honourable Robert Boyle [1627 – 1691], Fellow of the Royal Society,  born to Irish noble parents, to whom he was the 14th child, is known chiefly for his works in Physics and Chemistry and greatest fame for the formulation of Boyles Law, first published in 1662.   Boyles Law describes the relationship between pressure and volume in a closed system at a fixed temperature – pressure and volume are inversely proportional [when one increases the other decreases], the mathematical equation is as follows:

PV = k

Where P is Pressure, V is Volume and k is a constant representative of the pressure volume system.

THE WORKS OF ROBERT BOYLE

The works of Robert Boyle were in great demand during his lifetime, both in England and on the Continent, hence an edition the Geneve Opera Varia was published in 1677 [reprinted 1680] in Latin.   In English there were two collected editions: This five volume folio edition, edited by Thomas Birch, published in 1744 and a later six volume quarto edition of 1772, based on the earlier folio edition.

PROVENANCE

This set of volumes was from the Sunderland Library at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, they were brought to Blenheim By Charles Spencer the 5th Earl of Sunderland, the 3rd Duke of Marlbrough.   Volume one has the engraved book-plate from the Sunderland library at Blenheim, with the Spencer crest, all volumes have the pencil shelf marks which with this specific book-plate denote the provenance form his library rather than that of the 3rd Earl of Sunderland.

By the 1870’s the Marlbroughs were in severe financial trouble and as a result the Sunderland Library of some 20,000 books was offered for sale as a whole.   Baron James de Rothchild, of Paris was considering the purchase when he suddenly died and the negotiations fell through; Lord Crawford was tempted and the book dealer Bernard Quaritch actually tried to raise the money but failed.    The library was hence sold by auction in 1881 by Puttick & Simpson.   This set was catalogued as Lot 1915 and was sold on the 8th day of the sale, Friday 9th December 1881, for a sum of £2 to Bernard Quaritch, who managed to purchase 60% of the library.

For further details about this set of the Works of Robert Boyle click here.