The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon, Edward - 1802

London: T. Cadell Jun. And W. Davies, 1802. Twelve volumes - Volume One - ; Volume Two - xv, [1], 496pp; Volume Three - viii, 412pp; Volume Four - viii, 443pp, [1]; Volume Five - vii, [1], 432pp; Volume Six - viii, 420pp; Volume Seven - viii, 424pp; Volume Eight - xii, viii, 375pp, [1]; Volume Nine - xii, 502pp; Volume Ten - xii, 385pp, [1]; Volume Eleven - xii, 460pp and Volume Twelve - xv, [1], 432pp, [96]. Uniform, slightly later half calf, smooth back, divided into four unequal panels by triple fillet rules, second panel with gilt title and volume number, third larger panel with blind triple fillet bordering a semi-circle roll with triangular corner pieces enclosing a central roundel with flower heads above and below, remaining panels with central roundel and leafy stems and a small scalloped tool repeated separated by a triple fillet all in gilt, marbled paper to sides and all edges marbled. Externally very good, with only very minor rubbing to extremities. Internally generally good, some occasional light browning and foxing, very occasionally heavier. Small worm track to margin of last few pages of volume ten, volume one has an ink stain to gutter throughout, small initially, but getting larger towards the end of the volume, with the last fifty or so pages with an associated split where the paper has become brittle, though not affecting text. Previous owner's armorial bookplate to front pastedowns, (William Miles - of Dixfield House, Exeter). With portrait frontispiece and two large folding maps. Despite the problem with volume one, a handsome set of Gibbon's classic. Norton 40. Reprint. Half Calf and Boards. Good+. 8vo.