THE GOVERNMENT OF CATTEL. Divided into three books. THE ENGLISH IMPROVER, 1649 and THE ENGLISH IMPROVER expanded edition, 1653. by MASCAL, Leonard, and Walter BLITH.: - 1662

London, printed for John Stafford, and W.G. and are to be sold at the George yard near Fleet-bridg, 1662.. THREE WORKS ON AGRICULTURE BOUND IN ONE VOLUME. Small 4to, all books, approximately 170 x 130 mm, 6½ x 5 inches, trimmed copy with a few catchwords and signatures shaved, affecting the odd last line, all legible. FIRST BOOK: The English Improver, imprint trimmed off (London, printed for I. Wright at the Kings Head in the Old-Bayley 1649, taken from ESTC.) Pages: [28],1-168, [8], ESTC R16946. Pale browning to title page, trimmed at head and tail with slight loss to "THE" at head, red ink name to verso title page with slight bleed through to recto, "To The Author" page lacking last line of Faults at foot, pale age-browning throughout, occasional spot. SECOND BOOK: The English Improver. Imprint missing (London, printed for John Wright, at the Kings-head in the Old-Bayley, 1653, taken from ESTC R16683. Engraved title page folded at bottom and slightly dusty, folding engraved plate, 2 full page woodcut plates and 1 text illustration, pages: [26], 1-274, [12], collation the same as ESTC, red name to verso title page, title page and following 4 leaves trimmed at foot, no loss to meaning, margins of folding plate trimmed off, 2 small repairs to back of folding plate with tiny loss to image, tear to top outer corner of page 9 with no loss of text, outer margin of 1 full page plate trimmed off, not affecting image, some worming to inner margins hardly noticeable and not affecting text, small stain to fore- edges just encroaching on outer margins. THIRD BOOK: THE GOVERNMENT OF CATTELL, divided into three books, pagination and register are continuous: Cattell & Oxen, Horses and Sheep, Goats, Hogs and Dogs, all with their own title pages, the Cattell title page dated 1662 as does The ordering of Sheep but Horses is dated 1661. ESTC R217472. mostly printed in black letter. Pages: [8], 1-307, [3], last page blank, lacks engraved title page, a facsimile has been inserted, lacks 2 plates? the "internet Archive" copy does not have the plates either, 2 other copies listed in ESTC of the same date do not have plates, 1 woodcut of a hog's head, tiny rust hole to this leaf. Small repair to foot of title page, tip of lower corner missing, all 3 title page versos have the same ink name (W. Musgrave), large pale stain to page 206, a printing fault on page 118 in the horse section, slightly affecting the text, small pale stain to fore-edges, occasional pale stains and rust spots, a few margins lightly dusty. Three books bound together in full early speckled calf, 2 gilt lettered labels to spine and gilt design between raised bands, armorial bookplate to the front pastedown, 1 free endpaper has the 3 titles in manuscript in neat old ink. Binding slightly rubbed and scuffed, slight wear to head and tail of spine, upper hinge starting to crack and the lower hinge cracked but both covers holding securely on the cords, a few neat marginalia in places, all very good copies. The second book, The English Improver has dedication to Lord Generall Cromwell, Blith was a Captain in the Civil War, the engraved frontis shows soldiers with weapons and at the top reads: VIVE LA RE PUBLICK. See: Fussell, Old English Farming Books; Mary Aslin, Catalogue of Books on Agriculture; Donald McDonald, Agricultural Writers,1200-1800; Pauline Dingley, Historic Books on Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry; George Thomason, Catalogue of Works Relating to the Civil War. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.