1766 Rare Book - The Isle of Anglesey, the Ancient Seat of the British Druids

Author: Henry Rowlands.
Title: Mona Antiqua Restaurata. An Archæological Discourse on the Antiquities, Natural and Historical, of the Isle of Anglesey, the Ancient Seat of the British Druids. In Two Essays. With an Appendix, Some Letters, and Three Catalogues.
Publisher: London, Printed for J. Knox, near Southampton-Street in the Strand, MDCCLXV (1766). Second edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10.5 x 8.5 inches.
Pages: 35 pages + publisher's add.
Binding: Attrative and very good binding, handsomely rebound by Cottage Bindery in full mottled calf, nicely restored with raised bands, gilt fleurons to spine compartments, and a red morocco label titled in gilt. The boards retain their elegant 18th-century calf leather (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges marbled.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown, previous owner’s bookplate and handwritten provenance note on the front pastedown (Hugh Ilan Jones, Proffigwy Hall) - as shown, hal corner of the last free endpaper repaired - as shown). Restoration note penciled at top right: “Restored by Cottage Bindery.”
Illustrations: Illustrated with a fine full-page engraved frontispiece map of the Isle of Anglesey by John Gibson, followed by 17 engraved plates including “The Chief Druid,” ceremonial stone circles, sacred groves, and “Boadicea Queen of the Iceni.” All plates present and well struck.

Estimate: (USD 500–750).

The book: A distinguished and richly illustrated second edition of Mona Antiqua Restaurata, Henry Rowlands’ landmark 18th-century study of Druidic antiquities and natural history on the Isle of Anglesey. First published in 1723 and here “corrected and improved,” this 1766 edition greatly enhanced the scope and presentation of Rowlands’ work—melding myth, linguistic speculation, and early archaeological observation into a vivid tapestry of pre-Roman Britain.
Rowlands, convinced that Anglesey was the final stronghold of the Druids, undertakes an ambitious survey of the island’s geography, ancient monuments, language origins, and legendary figures. His work exemplifies the era’s romantic antiquarianism and helped ignite lasting interest in Celtic revival thought. The appendix offers a comparative table of primitive roots from European tongues—early evidence of systematic philology.

The author: Henry Rowlands (1655–1723), a Welsh clergyman and antiquarian, served as Vicar of Llanidan in Anglesey for over three decades. A passionate observer of local antiquities, he combined meticulous fieldwork with classical and biblical references, aiming to reestablish the dignity of Britain’s ancient heritage. Though many of his interpretations now read as speculative, Rowlands was a pioneering voice in early British archaeology and remains a touchstone for Celtic and Druidic studies.

The illustrations: The engraved illustrations—likely by Thomas Taylor and contemporaries—are characteristic of mid-18th-century antiquarian visual culture. Striking and imaginative, they depict ancient ceremonial scenes and mythic figures with gravitas and flair. The finely engraved map of Anglesey provides both geographic detail and decorative charm. These plates were central to the book’s early success and remain among its most collectible features.