Beschreibung:

FREEMASONS -- HALL, Joseph (1574-1656). Iosifa Galla, episkopa Oksfortskago, Vnezapnyia razmyshleniia, proizvedennyia vdrug pri vozzrenii na kakuiu nibud' veshch . [The Impromptu Meditations of Joseph Hall Bishop of Oxford, arising on sighting some thing or other]. Moscow: Typographical Company, 1786.
FREEMASONS -- HALL, Joseph (1574-1656). Iosifa Galla, episkopa Oksfortskago, Vnezapnyia razmyshleniia, proizvedennyia vdrug pri vozzrenii na kakuiu nibud' veshch . [The Impromptu Meditations of Joseph Hall Bishop of Oxford, arising on sighting some thing or other]. Moscow: Typographical Company, 1786. 8° (172 x 105mm). Engraved head- and tail-piece. (Scattered spotting.) Contemporary mottled calf, red morocco label on spine with gilt floral tools in compartments, patterned endpapers, red edges (extremities slightly rubbed). Provenance : S.v. Lanskoi (signature) -- Count Alexei Uvarov (bookplate) -- shelfmarks, twentieth-century stamps. FIRST EDITION. RARE: WorldCat lists no copies in North America and Copac records none in the U.K. Joseph Hall's Meditatiunculae subitaneae of 1635 had great influence in Russia, not least in Masonic circles. The translator signs himself only as 'pitomets M.K.' and was possibly one of the pupils ('pitomets') of the 'Gathering of University Pupils', which was founded by Masons. The publisher, 'Typographical Company', had strong links with Freemasonry, but also published works aimed at wider sections of society. The early owner of this book, Sergei Stepanovich Lanskoi (1787-1862) was briefly master of a Masonic lodge, before performing several government roles under Alexander II, including a period as Minister for Internal Affairs from 1855. Count Alexei Uvarov was a founder and President of the Imperial Archaeological Society of Moscow as well as a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts. His library comprised over 100,000 volumes on a multitude of subjects. SK 8048; Sopikov 4966.