NEWTON, Sir Isaac (1642–1727). The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated by Andrew Motte. – MACHIN, John (c.1686–1751). The Laws of the Moon’s Motion. London: Benjamin Motte, 1729.

First edition in English of the most important work in the history of science, with contemporary female ownership. “Perhaps the greatest intellectual stride that it has ever been granted to any man to make” (Einstein): Newton’s great work was first translated into English by Andrew Motte, who was brother to the printer and himself a mathematician and natural philosopher. “Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler had certainly shown the way; but where they described the phenomena they observed, Newton explained the underlying laws” (PMM). Babson 20; Gray 23; PMM 161; Norman 1587; Wallis 23.

Two volumes, octavo (197 × 116mm). Two engraved frontispieces and three engraved headpieces by A. Motte, 47 engraved plates on full aprons, two folding letterpress tables (vol. I pl. 20’s caption misprinted, stains along edges of A6 and A7, spotting and small stains, some offsetting). Contemporary calf, paneled in gold, flower boarder tooled in blind, red sprinkled edges (rebacked, paste action in endleaves); custom box by David Weinstein. Provenance: Judith Sambrooke (17th-century inscriptions on upper pastedowns, underneath:) – Strickland Freeland (Fawley Court bookplate dated 1810).