Pre-1900 Literature & History

First edition, one of 750 copies, 8vo, publisher's advertisements at end of vol. II & III, green endpapers, labels of Exeter bookbinder A.L. Noake on upper pastedowns, small stamps of same on half-titles, hinges repaired, original blue-green fine-bead cloth, covers with black fillet borders, spines lettered in gilt, expert, minor repairs to cloth of spines, a few gatherings crudely opened, further slight wear to edges and corners of bindings, minor marks to covers, overall an attractive copy, preserved in matching solander box.

Fourteen volumes, small 8vo, engraved portrait frontispiece of Shakespeare, numerous plates, a little spotting, mostly to verso and margins of plates, some margins trimmed, else very good, contemporary calf, maroon lettering pieces to smooth spines, other panels gilt, marbled edges, rubbed and aged but mellow and pleasant.

15 volumes, 8vo., EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with about 145 engraved plates by S. and E. Harding, Millton Park stamp to each volume, occasional browning and off-setting, mostly to margins and verso of plates, near-contemporary straight-grained light brown morocco, all edges gilt, a little rubbed and bumped at extremities, otherwise a very good and readable set.

8 vol., engraved portrait and 36 plates after Hugo Gravelot, one plate misbound (at p.209, vol. II, rather than vol. I), occasional spotting, mostly to edges, else very good internally, contemporary tree calf, red lettering pieces to each spine, marbled edges, rubbed, bumped on spine ends, a couple of joints starting but still firm otherwise beautifully aged with a marvellous patina.

First editions, 8vo, 30 volumes, some with illustrations, occasional light foxing to some pages in some volumes but in the main very good, uniformly bound by Hatchards in half crimson morocco, handsome gilt tooling to spines, top edges gilt, light spotting to remaining edges, otherwise an very good collection.

First edition, first printing, first state (without the advertisement leaf in vol. I), 8vo, vi, [2], 361, [3, blank]; vi, [2], 319, [1, blank]; vi, [2], 313, [1, blank], with 16pp. publisher's catalogue at end, three small closed tears to half-title of volume III, very occasional light mark or spot, otherwise very good, publisher's cinnamon ripple-grain cloth (Carter's variant B), covers decoratively blind-stamped, spines lettered in gilt, Edmonds & Remnant's binder's ticket at end of volume I, some light soiling, inner hinges starting but still sound, spines bumped at head and foot, corners slightly bumped, preserved in a solander box by Zaehnsdorf for E. Joseph, a very good set.

2 vol., folio in fours, titles printed in red & black with engraved vignette, engraved allegorical frontispiece to first vol., engraved folding portrait of Charlotte Princess of Wales by Gunst after Kneller, one engraved part-title (Le Lutrin, poëme heroï-comique) within decorative border, 6 engraved plates, 28 engraved vignettes, woodcut initials and occasional decorations, text mostly within typographic borders, a little minor browning but overall internally very good, small partly excised stamp on verso of titles, marbled endpapers mounted onto reverse of decorative gilt fly-leaves, contemporary crimson morocco with elaborate gilt borders within single roll border with further gilt decoration to edges and dentelles, spines with elaborate gilt compartments within decorated raised bands, onlaid blue morocco doublures with gilt borders small gilt coat-of-arms to first, some darker mottling and speckling to covers, minor rubbing to extremities, but a handsome set, gilt edges.

First edition illustrated by Boucher. 6 vol. 4to. (29.1 x 22 cm). pp. [6], lxiv, lxvii-lxxii, 330; pp. [6], 447; pp. [6], 442; pp. [6], 420; pp. [6], 618; pp. [6], 554, with half-titles, engraved portrait by Lépicié after Coypel, titles with large vignette, 33 engraved plates by L. Cars after F. Boucher, 198 vignettes and culs-de-lampe including repeats, historiated initials, the odd, very random spot, mostly to the last few leaves of volume V, the half-title-page of volume IV and the first blank endpaper at the rear of volume I, which also has a small hole (probably a paper flaw rather than damage); browning (oxidisation) to one area of the half-page of volume III, otherwise very clean and bright, contemporary marbled calf gilt, triple fillet border on boards, spines in 6 compartments lavishly decorated with floral and foliate motifs, morocco labels lettered in gilt to second and third, raised bands, in very good order, commensurate with their age, a little rubbed at extremities with a notable abrasion and small loss to the surface at the base of the upper board of volume I, otherwise, very good.

First Stockdale edition and the first edition to be illustrated by Thomas Stothard, 2 volumes; large 8vo; 14 engraved plates after Thomas Stothard by Medland, author portrait prior to the Life of Defoe, contemporary straight-grained crimson morocco, boards with wide border of gilt fillets and roll tools, spine compartments with floral design made up of pointillé tools, green morocco title labels and volume numbers directly lettered, gilt turn-ins and edges, title-page and frontispiece to vol. I with small burn repair to each in outer margin, occasional spotting or light browning, without the list of subscribers, board edges lightly rubbed, a few minor ink spots on covers of vol. I, otherwise a very good set; 389; 456pp.

Atlantic edition, 28 volumes, 8vo., limited to 1050 sets for the U. S. A.), signed by the author, photogravure frontispiece to each volume, modern burgundy half-morocco gilt, original spine labels tipped-in at rear, a complete and very handsome set.