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London: Wingrave et al., 1805. 2 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent full calf from the beginning of the 19th century with gilt bands, elaborate gilt centre tools, label and speckled edges. With the bookplate of M. General Sir Charles Stewart of Wynyard Park. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry. Vane served with distinction throughout the Peninsula War. His dashing and dandified portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence is at the National Portrait Gallery. He amassed magnificent libraries in his various Country Houses.

London: Harding, Triphook, and Lepard, 1824. 2 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A smart Georgian half vellum with gilt bands, gilt centre tools, twin labels and pink speckled edges. With the bookplates of Vane Londonderry. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry. Vane served with distinction throughout the Peninsula War. His dashing and dandified portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence is at the National Portrait Gallery. He amassed magnificent libraries in his various Country Houses. Splendid engraved frontispiece to the first volume. Henry IV, known as 'The Great' was the first Bourbon monarch of France.

London: John Murray, 1831. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. Full early Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, twin olive labels and exceptionally fine gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are marked and scuffed but with no splitting. A rather splendid, though somewhat worn set of this important and scarce work.

London: John Murray, 1822. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A handsome Georgian full calf binding with raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are framed within a wide blind roll. With armorial bookplate and Ben Damph Forest Library stamp of the Earls of Lovelace. A good looking early edition of this great History of the Middle Ages.

London: Macmillan, 1922. 3 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. Very smart tree calf by Bickers with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooled panels and twin labels. A gilt prize block, framed by a gilt roll, is on the upper board of each volume.
Prize bookplate on the paste down end paper of the first volume. A neat and very readable copy of this, perhaps greatest, of all biographies.

London: George Bell, 1885. 2 volumes,10 1/2 inches tall. A very neat set bound by Charles Lauriat of Boston with raised bands, wide and elaborate dentelles and all edges gilt. The spines are slightly faded. With wood engraved vignettes and 34 full page steel engravings in Sepia, as called for. A splendid set of these interesting and amusing works.

London: Becket, Cadell and Evans, 1774. 4 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A good looking 18th century full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and elaborate gilt tooling to the panels. A single gilt fillet frames the boards, With bookplate of Ellen James. Some rubbing and cracks to the joints but overall a perfectly firm and solid set of this English language edition.

London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1839. 3 vol set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A most ornate and attractive half calf with gilt raised bands and fine extra gilt tooling to the panels. First edition with dedication leaf to volume I and half titles to vols II & III, as called for. Corners a little bumped, very slight split to one joint and light spotting. From the library of Captain Thomas Robert Brigstoke and with his ink signature to each volume. Robert J. Hayhurst bookplate.

London: Nimmo, 1891. 4 volume set, 9 1/2 inches tall. A simple yet elegant edition bound in half morocco by Stikeman with raised bands, gilt titles and top edges. Limited to 1040 copies, this being number 478. Illustrated with a portrait, 24 steel and mezzotint full page engravings and numerous engravings on wood. A fine set.

London: Richard Bentley, 1883. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. A very handsome late Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and elegant gilt tooling to the panels. Bumped tips. With 20 engraved plates, as called for. A handsome 'New and Revised Edition' of this classic work on Napoleon by the wife of General Jean-Andoche Junot, one of Napoleons most trusted officers during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Paris: Galignani, 1825. 4 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A stunning half morocco binding with wide gilt bands very elaborate extra gilt panels with a very impressive armorial device in the central panel. With the bookplate of Margaret Mirrielees. Slight foxing. An interesting Continental English language printing of the works of this great 18th century Irish writer.

Cambridge: Merrill, Evans and Fletcher, 1785. 6 volume set, 9 inches tall.A good looking 18th century full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels, the volume label being interesting, with a lion peering over a swag atop a cartouche bearing the number. An ornate gilt roll frames the boards. All edges gilt. On the reverse of the free endpaper is an ink inscription to the "Earl of Ailesbury from the Editor". Some expert restoration but a fine solid set of the first edition of a scarce title.

London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1858. 2 volume set, 7 inches tall. A very handsome little set of this very scarce title with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooling to the panels and gilt top edges. Slight foxing to the preliminaries. With the bookplate of St. Benedict's Library, Fort William. The remarkable Kenelm Digby, most famous for his 'The Broad Stone of Honour, or Rules for the Gentlemen of England', was born in Ireland of old English stock and was a great enthusiast for chivalry, monarchy and the Church. He blamed the Reformation for the death of chivalry and religion. During the Victorian period, he wielded much influence and stimulated much debate.

London: Henry G. Bohn, 1862. 4 volume set, 7 1/4 inches tall. A neat little set in half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. the spines are somewhat fade but are still bright. An attractive set, profusely illustrated with engraved views and portraits, of this great 17th century diary, first published in 1818.

London: Henry Colburn, 1840. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A good looking half calf with wide gilt raised bands, twin labels and simple inked pallets in the panels. Foxing to the engraved plates, the text, plans and maps being clean. Alexander was Captain in the British Army and Lieutenant-Colonel in the Portuguese Service, he was a traveller, soldier and author and was largely responsible for the preservation and transfer of Cleopatra's Needle to England. A smart set of this scarce life of the Iron Duke.

London: John Murray, 1907. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. A handsome Edwardian half morocco binding by Bickers with gilt raised bands, gilt crown and rose centre tools in the panels and gilt top edges. Foxing mostly confined to the preliminaries and edges. A few small marks to the boards but still a splendid looking set of 'a Selection from Her Majesty's Correspondence between the Years 1837 and 1861'.

London: Rivington et al., 1815. 3 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A rather splendid Regency full 'Russia' calf binding with gilt raised bands and dense blind tooling to the panels. A gilt fillet and wide blind roll frame the boards. Rubbing to the shoulders but perfectly firm. This scarce work was 'intended as an accompaniment to Dr. Russell's History of Modern Europe'. A bright and clean set in a classic Regency binding.

London: Dent, 1925. 3 volume set, 8 inches tall. A neat half calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt top edges. Decorated with 39 photogravures by E.J. Sullivan. Slight fading but still a bright and good looking set in lovely condition.

Paris: Desessart, 1844. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A very fine binding by Pétrus Ruban in full crushed morocco with gilt raised bands, exquisite gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of Daniel Henry Holmes. A stunning copy of the first edition of this set of literary criticism and biographies by the flamboyant French poet, dramatist, novelist and art and literary critic, in pristine condition. In the original French.

London: Bradbury, Agnew, and Co., c.1890. 2 volume set, 11 inches tall. A scarce deluxe quarto edition in half crushed morocco with raised bands, simple gilt panels and gilt top edge. Striking bookplate. With great comic illustrations by John Leech throughout, with hand coloured full page plates and vignettes on India paper. Small sealed split at the head of volume II, but still a fine set of this superb comic history.