Small octavo bound in suede sheepskin (front cover detached/spine damaged but lower cover soundly attached). Engraved titlepage + printed titlepage +[21p dedication & prefaces] +[22-36pp contents] +373pp +[51p index]. Ownership inscription dated 1856 on inside of front board. Minor worming to later part of index and normal expected edge browning and a few spots but the paper is supple and readable. Text in Latin with substantial portions in Greek and some Hebrew. *Although Selden was primarily a lawyer and known best for his legal titles he was also a serious antiquary. This work deals with study of Syrian mythology and comparison with a study of the antiquity of the Hebrew Old Testament and led to his reputation as an oriental scholar. His large collection of oriental books and manuscripts are at the Bodleian Library at Oxford. There seem to be two versions of this 3rd edition of 1662 by Brendel one of 28 preliminaries +331pp and ours [36] +373pp +[51p index] First written when Selden was in his early 20's it was not published until 1617 as is explained in the Preface to the first edition which is reprinted in this edition after a later Preface.