The Library of James Stirling 2025-10-23 Auction - 160 Price Results - Lyon & Turnbull in Scotland
Stirling, James (1692-1770)Agricola, GeorgiusY Very rare Scottish George II cased silver simple 'pocket' microscope, John Clark, Edinburgh
Done
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Auction Details

The Library of James Stirling

Lyon & Turnbull presents the extraordinary collection of James Stirling, one of the foremost mathematicians of eighteenth-century Europe and a prot?g? of Sir Isaac Newton.Renowned for his pioneering work on infinitesimal calculus and infinite series, and immortalised in Stirling?s Formula and the Stirling Numbers, he played a pivotal role in the Newtonian revolution in mathematics. At the heart of this collection lies his Methodus Differentialis (1730), represented in three exceptional forms: Stirling?s holograph manuscript, his personally corrected first edition, and an English translation accompanied by autograph letters from the translator. Alongside these are Stirling?s mathematical notebooks, covering everything from infinite series to the figure of the earth, and an outstanding group of contemporary works by his peers, including a large-paper copy of Newton?s Principia Mathematica, first editions by Newton, Maclaurin, Brook Taylor and de Moivre, and presentation copies from figures across Enlightenment Europe. Completing this remarkable archive is a collection of letters from Leonhard Euler, Nicolaus Bernoulli, and Gabriel Cramer, as well as a selection of scientific instruments believed to have been used by Stirling himself.
Auction Curator:
Cathy Tait
Cathy Tait
Head of Department, Rare Books and Manuscripts
SOLD
Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica Editio tertia aucta et emendata. London: apud Guil. et Joh. Innys, Regiae Societatis typographos, 1726. 4to (28.7 x 21.5cm),
0001: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £10,000-£20,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Optice sive de reflexionibus, refractionibus, inflexionibus et coloribus lucis libri tres. Latine reddidit Samuel Clarke. Accedunt tractatus duo eiusdem authoris de speciebus et
0002: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £2,000-£3,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Opticks or, a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light. London: for William and John Innys, 1721. 8vo (19.5 x 11.7cm), contemporary panelled
0003: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £2,000-£3,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Lectiones opticae annis MDCLXIX, MDCLXX et MDCLXXI. In scholis publicis habitae: et nunc primum ex MSS. in lucem editae. London: apud Guil. Innys, 1729. 4to (22 x 16.2cm),
0004: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £2,000-£3,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Analysis per quantitatum series, fluxiones, ac differentias cum enumeratione linearum tertii ordinis. London: ex officina Pearsoniana, 1711. 4to in half-sheets (23 x 17.4cm),
0005: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £40,000-£60,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac A Treatise of the Method of Fluxions and Infinite Series with its Application to the Geometry of Curve Lines. Translated from the Latin Original not yet published. London: for T.
0006: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £1,000-£1,500
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Genesis curvarum per umbras seu perspectivae universalis elementa; exemplis coni sectionum et linearum tertii ordinis illustrata. London: A. Millar, 1746. First edition, 8vo,
0007: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £300-£500
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Two Treatises of the Quadrature of Curves and Analysis by Equations of an Infinite Number of Terms, explained: containing the Treatises themselves, translated into English, with a
0008: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £2,000-£3,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac De mundi systemate London: J. Tonson, J. Osborn, & T. Longman, 1728. 4to (23.9 x 17.6cm), contemporary panelled calf, red morocco spine label, iv 108 pp., title-page printed in
0009: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £3,000-£5,000
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John London: printed by J. Darby and T. Browne, sold by J. Roberts [and others], 1733. First edition, 4to (25
0010: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £600-£800
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Newton, Sir Isaac: Newton, Sir Isaac The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended To which is prefix'd, a Short Chronicle from the First Memory of Things in Europe, to the Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great.
0011: Newton, Sir IsaacEst. £600-£800
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Pemberton, Henry: Pemberton, Henry A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy London: S. Palmer, 1728. First edition, 4to (28.4 x 21.5cm), contemporary mottled calf, [48] 407 pp., engraved title vignette, head- and
0012: Pemberton, HenryEst. £300-£500
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Bedford, Arthur: Bedford, Arthur Animadversions upon Sir Isaac Newton's Book intitled The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended London: printed by Charles Ackers, sold by R. Knaplock, F. Fayram, J. Hooker, 1728.
0013: Bedford, ArthurEst. £200-£300
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Voltaire: Voltaire The Elements of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy Translated from the French. Revised and Corrected by John Hanna. London: for Stephen Austen, 1738. First edition, 8vo (19.6 x 12cm),
0014: VoltaireEst. £300-£500
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Maclaurin, Colin: Maclaurin, Colin An Account of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophical Discoveries in Four Books. Published from the Author's Manuscript Papers, by Patrick Murdoch. London: printed for the author's
0015: Maclaurin, ColinEst. £400-£600
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Maclaurin, Colin: Maclaurin, Colin A Treatise of Fluxions In Two Books. Edinburgh: printed by T. W. and T. Ruddimans, 1742. 2 volumes, 4to (23.4 x 17.4cm), contemporary sprinkled calf, spines gilt in compartments,
0016: Maclaurin, ColinEst. £2,000-£3,000
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Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746): Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746) Ten autograph letters signed to James Stirling each a single bifolium, 4to, approx. 19 x 23cm or similar (except item 6: folio, 38 x 24cm), addressed to Stirling
0017: Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746)Est. £15,000-£20,000
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Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746): Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746) Autograph letter signed on the priority dispute with George Campbell over the impossible roots of equations addressed to James Stirling ‘at the Academy in Little
0018: Maclaurin, Colin (1698-1746)Est. £3,000-£5,000
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Gravesande, Willem Jacob 's: Gravesande, Willem Jacob 's An Essay on Perspective Written in French. And now translated into English. London: for J. Senex [and others], 1724. First edition, 8vo (19 x 11.6cm), contemporary
0019: Gravesande, Willem Jacob 'sEst. £400-£600
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Euler, Leonhard (1707-1783): Euler, Leonhard (1707-1783) Two autograph letters signed to James Stirling First letter: dated Petropoli [i.e. St Petersburg], 8th June 1736, 4 pp., in Latin, addressed and signed at head
0020: Euler, Leonhard (1707-1783)Est. £3,000-£5,000
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Cramer, Gabriel (1704-1752): Cramer, Gabriel (1704-1752) Ten autograph letters signed to James Stirling all sent to James Stirling at Watts’s Academy, Little Tower Street, all in English (except 2 and 3, in Latin, and 9
0021: Cramer, Gabriel (1704-1752)Est. £3,000-£5,000
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Klingenstierna, Samuel (1698-1765): Klingenstierna, Samuel (1698-1765) Autograph letter signed to James Stirling, with additional mathematical demonstrations Letter dated ‘Holmiae’ [Stockholm], 19th September 1738, in
0022: Klingenstierna, Samuel (1698-1765)Est. £1,000-£1,500
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Castel, Louis-Bertrand (1688-1757): Castel, Louis-Bertrand (1688-1757) Autograph letter signed to James Stirling dated Paris, 25th March 1733, signed Ludovic Castel, 3 pages, in Latin, closely written and including 3 diagrams,
0023: Castel, Louis-Bertrand (1688-1757)Est. £400-£600
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Poleni, Giovanni (editor) - Sextus Julius Frontinus: Poleni, Giovanni (editor) - Sextus Julius Frontinus De Aquaeductibus Urbis Romae Commentarius antiquae fidei restitutus, atque explicatus. Opera et Studio Joannis Poleni. Padua: J. Manfre, 1722.
0024: Poleni, Giovanni (editor) - Sextus Julius FrontinusEst. £300-£500