The Compleat Swimmer: Or, The Art of Swimming: Demonstrating The Rules and Practice thereof, in an Exact, Plain, and Easie Method. Necessary to be Known and Practiced by All Who Studie or Desire their own Preservation.

PERCEY, William.

$22,500.00

Item Number: 125337

London: Printed by J. C. for Henry Fletcher, 1658.

First and only edition of one of the earliest treatises on swimming, preceded only by Sir Everard Digby’s short Latin tract, published in 1589 and translated into English in 1595; and the Dutchman Nicholas Wynman’s De arte natandi, 1538. 12mo, bound in full 19th century calf with gilt titles and tooling the spine, gilt ruling to the panels, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, engraved frontispiece. In very good condition. Exceptionally rare with only a handful of copies having appeared at auction in the past century.

Percey's address to 'the ingenious, prudent, and self-preserving reader' proposes that the motivation of all human actions is either pleasure or profit; swimming is both pleasurable as exercise and profitable as a means to health, cleanliness and self-preservation from drowning. Following this exordium, the author proceeds, "I shall not detain you any longer in the Chanel, but invite you to launch out into the Ocean", i.e. to discuss the correct times and conditions for swimming, before instructing the reader in various strokes, techniques for treading water, and styles of diving.