Opus de conscribendis epistolis by Erasmus, Desiderius - 1543

London: London: printed for the author; and sold by G. Hawkins, at the Middle Temple-Gate, in Fleet-Street, 1759. 1st Edition . Full leather. Good. First edition; two volumes, quarto; xxvii, 452; (iv), 350, (xxxviii), 71, (xxix)pp; with 7 copper-engraved maps and plans (5 of them folding), folding table, and frontispiece portrait. Full contemporary leather (worn, hinges weak, boards held by cords, spine label missing from vol.2), five raised spine bands, some browning and spotting particularly to opening and closing leaves, early ink inscription to vol.1 front free endpaper. Good complete working copy of this uncommon first edition. Harte's work, Ian Campbell Ross suggests [in The Shandean v.20, November 2009, p.9 et seq] was the source of several Shandean elements - from his early reflections on the difficulty of writing his book and his use of digression through to his reference to the Abbess of Quedlingberg - and though debate continues as to the precise influence Harte's work may have had, the… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, Whitefriars., 1855. 1st Edition . Half leather. Very Good. Doyle, Richard. FIRST EDITION; octavo, two volumes complete, viii+380+viii+376pp. In attractive Victorian black half leather over purple cloth boards, five raised spine bands, red and green gilt-lettered leather title labels in second and fourth compartments, other compartments richly gilt, binding with only the lightest of wear and very light fading to cloth boards. With marbled page edges and matching original marbled endpapers. Occasional unobtrusive light stains and browning (especially to outer margins of plates well clear of printed images) but overall a clean copy free from foxing and with full complement of 46 engraved plates (including engraved frontispiece to each volume) and numerous in-text illustrations. Bound up from original parts with small stab holes to inner margins. A very attractive set in first edition.

London: London: Printed for T.Cadell, in the Strand; and R.Baldwin, No.47, Pater-Noster-Row, 1791. Full leather. Good. Heath, Caldwell, Collyer et al.. Five volumes complete; octavo; [ii], 515, 574, 548, 510, 390, [unpaginated Index of c.150pp]. In full contemporary speckled calf (worn with loss to extremities, hinges cracked but secure), flat spines divided by gilt double fillets into six compartments, gilt-lettered spine labels in second compartments (but labels to vol.1 missing and partially absent to vols.2 and 4), volume number labels missing from fourth compartments, ink ownership inscriptions to free free endpapers, marginal wormtrack to first 50pp of vol.2 not affecting text, otherwise a sound complete set with a number of attractive engraved portraits. ESTC T55318, citing just four UK institutional locations.

Glasgow: Glasgow: printed by John Bryce, 1784. 1st Edition . Full leather. Very Good. First edition; two volumes; 340, 368pp. In contemporary full speckled calf (somewhat worn, front hinges cracked but secure), gilt volume numbers and remains of title labels to spines, early ink ownership inscription to half-title of volume 2, sporadic light paper browning but overall a very good complete copy of this uncommon history. ESTC T128905, citing 8xUK and 8xUS institutional copies.

London: Richard Phillips, 1806. Hardcover. Very Good. Eighth edition, octavo, three volumes; vii, [i], 272, 276, 264pp. In contemporary half calf over marbled boards (a little rubbed at extrermities), spine divided into five compartments by gilt rolls, gilt lettered red leather title and volume number labels in second and third compartments respectively, remaining compartments gilt. Early ink ownership name to volume 1 front free endpaper, volume 1 title-page 'Sketches of Fashion' obliterated by neat early ink hatching, sporadic light staining and soiling. Attractive early example of Surr's most popular work, said to have (literally) mortified Georgiana Cavendish upon learning that she was the inspiration for the character of a desperate gambler in the novel.

London: London: printed for the author; and sold by G. Hawkins, at the Middle Temple-Gate, in Fleet-Street, 1759. 1st Edition . Full leather. Good. First edition; two volumes, quarto; xxvii, 452; (iv), 350, (xxxviii), 71, (xxix)pp; with 7 copper-engraved maps and plans (5 of them folding), folding table, and frontispiece portrait. Full contemporary leather (worn, hinges weak, boards held by cords, spine label missing from vol.2), five raised spine bands, some browning and spotting particularly to opening and closing leaves, early ink inscription to vol.1 front free endpaper. Good complete working copy of this uncommon first edition. Harte's work, Ian Campbell Ross suggests [in The Shandean v.20, November 2009, p.9 et seq] was the source of several Shandean elements - from his early reflections on the difficulty of writing his book and his use of digression through to his reference to the Abbess of Quedlingberg - and though debate continues as to the precise influence Harte's work may have had, the… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, Whitefriars., 1855. 1st Edition . Half leather. Very Good. Doyle, Richard. FIRST EDITION; octavo, two volumes complete, viii+380+viii+376pp. In attractive Victorian black half leather over purple cloth boards, five raised spine bands, red and green gilt-lettered leather title labels in second and fourth compartments, other compartments richly gilt, binding with only the lightest of wear and very light fading to cloth boards. With marbled page edges and matching original marbled endpapers. Occasional unobtrusive light stains and browning (especially to outer margins of plates well clear of printed images) but overall a clean copy free from foxing and with full complement of 46 engraved plates (including engraved frontispiece to each volume) and numerous in-text illustrations. Bound up from original parts with small stab holes to inner margins. A very attractive set in first edition.

London: London: Printed for T.Cadell, in the Strand; and R.Baldwin, No.47, Pater-Noster-Row, 1791. Full leather. Good. Heath, Caldwell, Collyer et al.. Five volumes complete; octavo; [ii], 515, 574, 548, 510, 390, [unpaginated Index of c.150pp]. In full contemporary speckled calf (worn with loss to extremities, hinges cracked but secure), flat spines divided by gilt double fillets into six compartments, gilt-lettered spine labels in second compartments (but labels to vol.1 missing and partially absent to vols.2 and 4), volume number labels missing from fourth compartments, ink ownership inscriptions to free free endpapers, marginal wormtrack to first 50pp of vol.2 not affecting text, otherwise a sound complete set with a number of attractive engraved portraits. ESTC T55318, citing just four UK institutional locations.

Glasgow: Glasgow: printed by John Bryce, 1784. 1st Edition . Full leather. Very Good. First edition; two volumes; 340, 368pp. In contemporary full speckled calf (somewhat worn, front hinges cracked but secure), gilt volume numbers and remains of title labels to spines, early ink ownership inscription to half-title of volume 2, sporadic light paper browning but overall a very good complete copy of this uncommon history. ESTC T128905, citing 8xUK and 8xUS institutional copies.

London: Richard Phillips, 1806. Hardcover. Very Good. Eighth edition, octavo, three volumes; vii, [i], 272, 276, 264pp. In contemporary half calf over marbled boards (a little rubbed at extrermities), spine divided into five compartments by gilt rolls, gilt lettered red leather title and volume number labels in second and third compartments respectively, remaining compartments gilt. Early ink ownership name to volume 1 front free endpaper, volume 1 title-page 'Sketches of Fashion' obliterated by neat early ink hatching, sporadic light staining and soiling. Attractive early example of Surr's most popular work, said to have (literally) mortified Georgiana Cavendish upon learning that she was the inspiration for the character of a desperate gambler in the novel.