Memoir of Nathaniel Bowditch. INSCRIBED BY NATHANIEL INGERSOLL BOWDITCH TO THOMAS MOTLEY.

BOWDITCH, Nathaniel Ingersoll [MOTLEY, Thomas]

Published by Boston: From the Press of Isaac R. Butts/ Charles C. Little & James Brown, Publishers, 1839.

About this Item

Frontispiece [portrait of Nathaniel Bowditch], 168 pp; 1 plate [portrait of Mary Bowditch]. Original printed boards, recently rebacked with new cloth spine. Foxed at the beginning and at the end, including the two portraits. First Separate Edition ("a small extra edition"; see below). INSCRIBED BY NATHANIEL INGERSOLL BOWDITCH (on the front board): "Thos. Motley Esq/ from the author." Also INSCRIBED BY NATHANIEL INGERSOLL BOWDITCH (on p. [6]): "Thomas Motley Esq/ with the regards of/ The Author/ Boston May 8 1839." The title page reads: Mécanique Céleste by the Marquis de la Place . . . Translated, with a Commentary, by Nathaniel Bowditch, L.L.D . . . Volume IV. With a Memoir of the Translator, by His Son, Nathaniel Ingersoll Bowditch. This memoir was also published in the complete volume IV of Nathaniel Bowditch's translation of LaPlace's Mécanique céleste. A more common, second edition was published in 1840. "Of the Mécanique Céleste only five hundred copies have been printed, the greater part of which will probably remain unsold for several years, as, from the nature of its subject, it must necessarily find but few readers, besides that it is contained in four large and expensive quarto volumes. The author has, therefore, caused to be printed a small extra edition of the Memoir [offered here], chiefly with the view of presenting it to such individuals as he believed would feel an interest in the account which he has given of his father's life and character" (p. [6]). Although there is not a stated limitation for this "small extra edition", it was certainly much less than the 500 copies of the entire volume IV. The space left at the bottom of p. [6] for an inscription (see photo) suggests that most, and possibly all, copies were inscribed. But the inscribed copies are not necessarily of equal interest. This is an especially interesting copy because its recipient Thomas Motley was the employer of Nathaniel Bowditch. When Bowditch went to work for Motley, he did so because of the much higher salary, which helped provide the money Bowditch needed for the publication of his massive four volume translation of Laplace's work. About the recipient of this copy: Thomas Motley was a Director of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company. In 1823, Bowditch left the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company in Salem, Massachusetts, and moved to Boston to become Actuary of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company at five times his previous salary. This move was prompted in part by Bowditch's need for funds to publish his translation of Laplace's Mécanique celeste.

Seller Inventory # 15413

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Memoir of Nathaniel Bowditch. INSCRIBED BY NATHANIEL INGERSOLL BOWDITCH TO THOMAS MOTLEY.
• Publisher: Boston: From the Press of Isaac R. Butts/ Charles C. Little & James Brown, Publishers, 1839.
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)