The 300-year-old sex manual for sale at the Melbourne Book Fair
For centuries, Aristotle's Master-Piece was reprinted in hundreds of editions, and in the 1930s it was still for sale in Soho sex shops. Aristotle didn't actually write it (his was just a respected name to put onto a scandalous work), but it's an amalgam of advice from two physicians, Levinus Lemnius and Jacob Ruff. In it, you could find out about many aspects of conception, pregnancy, birth and copulation.
It's racy stuff for its time. Pom Harrington, owner of UK booksellers Peter Harrington, one of the book fair's exhibitors, says the book recommends 'to cherish the Body with generous Restorative, to charm the Imagination with Musick, to drown all Cares in good Wine; that so the Mind being elevated to a pitch of Joy and Rapture, the sensual Appetite may be more freely encouraged to gratifie itself in the Delights of Nature'. There are frank descriptions of both male and female genitalia, in which the clitoris is identified as 'the seat of the greatest pleasure in Copulation' for women. And when both parties 'meet with an equal Ardour', there is a higher chance of procreation.
There's plenty to charm the imagination, and possibly produce joy and rapture, in the current Melbourne Rare Book Week, with its program of free events leading up to the fair's opening on July 31. You can learn about collecting Georgette Heyer's novels; illustrations to Jane Austen's books; the women who contributed their artistic skills to natural history and science; or have a taste of some of Mrs Beeton's iconic recipes. For children and the young at heart, there's a dive into Alice's rabbit hole or a trip into Moominland.
This year, Melbourne also hosts the trade's mecca event, the International League of Antiquarian Books Symposium. Officers past and present will speak at a session advising newcomers how to make a start in the rare book trade. And the symposium will discuss a range of issues for booksellers, including security concerns and the need to combat digital fraud.
One of Australia's great bibliophiles, John Willis, will talk about his collection of rare gay and lesbian works. Willis is a former retailer and an early gay activist. His collection comes from donations and also from his own diligent work in seeking out forgotten treasures in bookshops and market stalls.
A declaration of interest: I'll be talking to two prominent bookish women in separate events – Kay Craddock on 60 years of selling secondhand and antiquarian books and Lucy Sussex on the story of Mary Fortune, one of Australia's first crime writers.
At the fair you can pick up a few items for a song, but if you want to buy Harrington's rare copy of Aristotle's Master-Piece, it will set you back $36,600. Winifred and Francis Witham would not have paid so much for it in 1699. The couple had two sons, but Winifred died soon after, possibly in childbirth, and they might have consulted the book for help with a difficult pregnancy.
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It was all very fast and even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time. He was pulled underwater with no vital signs and despite having been provided with CPR manoeuvres on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful. "Playa Grande is one of our most challenging beaches. It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning. It's a beach that the Caribbean Guard has patrolled for the last few years. [Not] this Sunday though. "Due to the recent water incidents on Playa black we have allocated resources there and on Chiquita, another beach, for its currents." The post then appealed to the national and regional governments for 'strong support' to further efforts to minimise drownings which it said were rising all over the country. TV star Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica at the weekend, it's been revealed. The Cosby Show star died at the age of 54 on Sunday whilst on holiday and it has now emerged that he was in the water with his daughter - whose name has not been made public - when the incident occurred. Police have told ABC News that surfers attempted to save Malcolm and his daughter after the pair were spotted struggling against the current. A surfer was able to save the Suits star's daughter by returning her to safety on his board whilst Malcolm was pulled back to shore by a volunteer lifeguard and another surfer. The actor - who was best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show - was given 45 minutes of CPR but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Facebook post from the Carribean Guard read: "We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, in Playa Grande. He was swept away by a strong hangover current and died by drowning. It was all very fast and even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time. He was pulled underwater with no vital signs and despite having been provided with CPR manoeuvres on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful. "Playa Grande is one of our most challenging beaches. It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning. It's a beach that the Caribbean Guard has patrolled for the last few years. [Not] this Sunday though. "Due to the recent water incidents on Playa black we have allocated resources there and on Chiquita, another beach, for its currents." The post then appealed to the national and regional governments for 'strong support' to further efforts to minimise drownings which it said were rising all over the country. TV star Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica at the weekend, it's been revealed. The Cosby Show star died at the age of 54 on Sunday whilst on holiday and it has now emerged that he was in the water with his daughter - whose name has not been made public - when the incident occurred. Police have told ABC News that surfers attempted to save Malcolm and his daughter after the pair were spotted struggling against the current. A surfer was able to save the Suits star's daughter by returning her to safety on his board whilst Malcolm was pulled back to shore by a volunteer lifeguard and another surfer. The actor - who was best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show - was given 45 minutes of CPR but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Facebook post from the Carribean Guard read: "We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, in Playa Grande. He was swept away by a strong hangover current and died by drowning. It was all very fast and even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time. He was pulled underwater with no vital signs and despite having been provided with CPR manoeuvres on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful. "Playa Grande is one of our most challenging beaches. It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning. It's a beach that the Caribbean Guard has patrolled for the last few years. [Not] this Sunday though. "Due to the recent water incidents on Playa black we have allocated resources there and on Chiquita, another beach, for its currents." The post then appealed to the national and regional governments for 'strong support' to further efforts to minimise drownings which it said were rising all over the country. TV star Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica at the weekend, it's been revealed. The Cosby Show star died at the age of 54 on Sunday whilst on holiday and it has now emerged that he was in the water with his daughter - whose name has not been made public - when the incident occurred. Police have told ABC News that surfers attempted to save Malcolm and his daughter after the pair were spotted struggling against the current. A surfer was able to save the Suits star's daughter by returning her to safety on his board whilst Malcolm was pulled back to shore by a volunteer lifeguard and another surfer. The actor - who was best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show - was given 45 minutes of CPR but was pronounced dead at the scene. A Facebook post from the Carribean Guard read: "We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, in Playa Grande. He was swept away by a strong hangover current and died by drowning. It was all very fast and even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time. He was pulled underwater with no vital signs and despite having been provided with CPR manoeuvres on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful. "Playa Grande is one of our most challenging beaches. It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning. It's a beach that the Caribbean Guard has patrolled for the last few years. [Not] this Sunday though. "Due to the recent water incidents on Playa black we have allocated resources there and on Chiquita, another beach, for its currents." The post then appealed to the national and regional governments for 'strong support' to further efforts to minimise drownings which it said were rising all over the country.
