Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
34
The Arpad Plesch copy of Morison on the royal gardens at Blois
MORISON, ROBERT
Hortus Regius Blesensis auctus ... Praeludiorum Botanicorum Pars Prima; [Hallucinationes Caspari Bauhini in Pinace ... Praeludiorum Botanicorum Pars Altera]. London: Thomas Roycroft, 1669. First edition. Two parts in one volume (with continuous pagination), period calf, spine gilt, all edges marbled. 6 1.4 x 3 3/4 inches (16 x 9.5 cm); [24], 347, [11], 351-499, [5] pp. The binding with some wear, generally an attractive copy. The Arpad Plesch copy, with his leather book label.
Morison was a Scottish botanist who became the first Professor of Botany at Oxford. The first part of the work is a catalogue of the plants in the Royal garden at Blois, where Morison served from 1650, and is dedicated to Charles II. The second part is an attack on the work the Bauhin family of botanists, with a list of the errors ("Hallucinationes") in their works, and is dedicated to Clarence, Duke of York.
Sold for $512
Estimated at $300 - $500
Includes Buyer's Premium
MORISON, ROBERT
Hortus Regius Blesensis auctus ... Praeludiorum Botanicorum Pars Prima; [Hallucinationes Caspari Bauhini in Pinace ... Praeludiorum Botanicorum Pars Altera]. London: Thomas Roycroft, 1669. First edition. Two parts in one volume (with continuous pagination), period calf, spine gilt, all edges marbled. 6 1.4 x 3 3/4 inches (16 x 9.5 cm); [24], 347, [11], 351-499, [5] pp. The binding with some wear, generally an attractive copy. The Arpad Plesch copy, with his leather book label.
Morison was a Scottish botanist who became the first Professor of Botany at Oxford. The first part of the work is a catalogue of the plants in the Royal garden at Blois, where Morison served from 1650, and is dedicated to Charles II. The second part is an attack on the work the Bauhin family of botanists, with a list of the errors ("Hallucinationes") in their works, and is dedicated to Clarence, Duke of York.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
