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London: Pine, 1733-1737. 2 volumes, 9 inches tall. A wonderful 18th century full crushed morocco, as fresh as the day it was bound. With gilt raised bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt rolls and corner tools to the boards. Dentelles and all edges gilt. The first edition of both volumes. One of the finest examples of 18th century English book production in which the text and illustrations are entirely engraved. With exquisite rococo decoration to almost every page. The bookplate of Hans Furstenberg. The condition of the binding and text is pristine. In the original Latin. A remarkable set.

Original Manuscript, 1910 - 1912. 5 volume set, 9.25 inches tall. A unique and extraordinary item, magnificently bound in full crushed morocco by Leighton of Brewer Street. With gilt raised bands and elegant gilt panels. The upper boards have the gilt plaque of a romantic figure, probably Byron, which is framed within gilt rolls and corner tools. Gilt dentelles and top edges. The 5 volumes contain the bound notebooks of Lord Effingham's travels at home and abroad. They are embellished with over 650 photographs, pictures postcards, portraits and engraved views. The handwriting is large and readable. Having been housed in felt line boxes the volumes are in pristine condition.

Bruxelles: Paul Lacomblez, 1914. Full morocco, 13 inches tall. A truly magnificent binding in pristine condition by Paul Affolter with gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling with onlays to the panels and framing the boards. Wide gilt dentelles and watered silk doublures and free endpapers. Number 50 of 75 copies on 'japon imperial' with an extra suite of colour plates. In the original felt lined and leather trimmed slipcase also signed by Affolter. Based on an obscure 16th century romance, Coster's masterpiece tells of the adventures of a Flemish prankster, Thyl Ulenspiegel, during the wars of the Reformation in the Netherlands and became popular all over the world.

London: John Bell, 1779-1782. 100 (of 109) volumes, 5.25 inches tall. A splendid collection of this span of English poets from Chaucer to Churchill in stunning 18th century full calf with gilt bands, triple labels and delicate gilt centre tools. We rarely stock incomplete sets but this title is extremely rare in this condition in such a long run. There are some minor chips and marks but generally in excellent condition. Lacking volumes 24,26,28,29,50,72,74,88 & 104, thus the vast majority of the titles are complete, including the 14 volume set of Chaucer at the very beginning of the collection.

Printed for Private Circulation only, 1883-1884. 6 volume set, 10 inches tall. A truly magnificent full morocco binding with gilt raised bands, very fine gilt tooling to the panels and boards, dentelles and all edges. This is the first collected edition of the Works of Nashe, the great English Elizabethan pamphleteer, satirist, novelist, playwright and poet. Printed for the Huth Library in an edition of 50 sets for private circulation only.

Paris: Chez le dit Huquier, rue des Mathurins au coin de celle de Sorbonne, (1768). Half calf, 10.25 inches tall, 6 inches deep (26cm x 21cm). A splendid example of a very rare book in a neat half calf with label and gilt pallets, speckled pink edges and vellum (recycled manuscript fragments) corners. The margins are exceptionally wide. The plates are lettered and numbered A1-12, B1-12 etc. to S1-12 , there is no J1-12) and in this example the last two leaves S11 and S12 are lacking, they do not appear to have ever been bound in, so we have 214 of 216 plates. Copac records only one copy in the UK (in the Royal Academy of Arts).

Paris: Libraires Associes, 1770 - 1771. 3 volume set, 11.75 inches tall. A splendid set in full cat's paw calf with raised bands, twin labels and floral gilt tooling to the panels. With all 100 engraved plates, mostly folding. An interesting work covering civil, military and naval architecture. A very good looking set. With a small stamp on the title pages and small ticket of 'Domus Aquensis Societatis Jesu' on the pastedown endpapers. In the original French.

Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1857. 25 volume set, 8.75 inches tall. A truly spectacular set in full dark pink morocco in marvellous condition. With gilt raised bands, twin green labels and extra gilt panels. The boards are decorated with a very delicate and ornate panel framed within a triple roll. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Engraved frontispieces, title pages, portraits and views throughout. Other than a few very superficial marks this set is in pristine condition with no wear or fading.

(Paris: Barbou) Amsterdam, 1762. 2 volume set, 7 inches tall. The celebrated and very scarce Fermiers-Generaux edition. Complete with half-titles, 2 engraved portraits and 80 superb plates after Eisen by Aliamet, Delafosse, Longueil, Le Mire et al.. with over 50 delightful and ornate vignettes by Choffar. The later binding is by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in the style of the period with gilt raised bands, extra floral gilt tooling to the panels, fine and ornate gilt tooling to the boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. The bindings have been expertly rebacked. Internally exceptionally clean and fresh with slight creasing to a couple of plates. A fine set of this great example of French 18th century printing.

London: Richard Bentley, 1840-1847. 3 volume set, 8 inches tall. An absolutely superb set in full morocco by Riviere with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and a triple fillet framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. From the library of the Duke of Gloucester at Kensington Palace and with his bookplate in each volume. Prince Henry Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. All first editions with the original cloth cover bound in. With full page plates by George Cruikshank and John Leech. Pristine, inside and out, a magnificent set of these great comic tales.

New York: Gabriel Wells, 1924. 30 volume set, 9 inches tall. Half crushed morocco with gilt raised bands, titles and fine gilt tooled panels. Gilt top edge. Deluxe edition, limited to 1075 sets, the first volume of each set is signed by the author. Portrait. The definitive set of this great writers works in English in excellent condition.

London: Baynes, 1813. Full straight grain red morocco, 20 inches tall. A monumental binding with wide gilt raised bands and Superb gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are embellished with very wide blind and gilt rolls. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the vignette on the title page and 108 engraved portraits. A spectacular example of this great book.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1866-1867. 26 volume set, 7.5 inches tall. In full morocco, bound by 'MANSELL SUCCESSOR TO HAYDAY', 2 of the greatest names in the pantheon of London bookbinders of the period. With gilt raised bands, gilt titles, dentelles and all edges. Lovely gilt mistletoe devices on the corners of the boards. Full page illustrations, slightly foxed, as usual. Some rubbing.Dickens considered this to be his 'Best Edition' and inscribed it to John Forster, later his great biographer. This edition was published just a few years before his death and doesn't contain the minor and incomplete works published after 1867. A superb set.

London: The Punch Office, 1847-1848. Bradbury and Evans. 3 volumes, 9 inches tall. A wonderful set of the first editions of these great comic works. Bound by Bradstreet in the finest full crushed morocco with raised bands and gilt dentelles. From the Duke of Gloucester's library at Kensington Palace, each volume with his bookplate. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. Original wrappers bound in. With a total of 30 hand coloured engravings and over 300 woodcuts by John Leech.

ondon Reeves and Turner, 1874. 15 volume set, 9 inches tall. Superb full calf by Mansell. A very fine binding with gilt raised bands, triple labels and dense gilt floral panels. Gilt dentelles and top edges.One of only a handful, possibly as few as 10, tall large paper copies on handmade paper were printed. With the armorial bookplate of Horatio Noble Pym, celebrated author and bibliophile who used the finest bookbinders of his day. This is a splendid set of this important collection of early English plays, largely from the 16th century, with more than 30 being added to this enlarged edition.

London: Chapman and Hall, c.1875. 30 volume complete set. 7.75 inches tall. Classic half calf binding with twin labels, gilt raised bands and fine gilt tooling to the panels. Beautifully illustrated throughout. Light foxing to prelims. This is a very fine and readable set of the works of England's great novelist.