Eland's Tutor to Astrology: or, Astrology made Easie...
London: Printed for G. Conyers at the Ring, J. Sprint at the Bell and T. Ballard, at the Rising-Sun in Little-Brittain, 1704. Tenth Edition. 12mo in 6s, 12 x 7cm, [8], 268pp, plus [4] pages of ms titled "To find the pole of position of any point or star," at rear. Diagrams, tables throughout. Contemporary blind tooled calf, spine stamped in gilt, g.e., marbled endpapers. Some rubbing along joints, spine chipped affecting a few letters of title. Additional calculations and symbols in ink on front endpaper, else clean internally. A popular handbook style introduction to the science of astrology, this text was first published by Joseph Moxon in 1657, and stayed in print in various formats through this "tenth edition" of 1704. George Parker has dubbed his edition "So compleatly furnished, that all the Operations of a Nativity may be perform'd by this little Compendium only, without the help of other Authors." The ESTC shows other editions of 1667, 1670, and 1694. Bound in at the rear is a rather neatly written and detailed, six-step formula used for navigation which would have been similar to those found in mariners almanacs (such as by John Colson) of the time. The entry is dated as finished February 19, 1707/8. On the final page of ms, there is a quote from Cocker's Arithmetick regarding the calculation of the Tropical year by the "exactest observations of the most accurate astronomers." This quote is followed by the ownership signature of a Richard Lane, and dated 1715. The entirety of the ms is in the same hand. A most interesting copy of this popular text which is uncommon in the trade. ESTC T110262. Gardner 297. Item #4811
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