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Paris: L'Auteur, 1831. Half calf, 19 inches tall. An elegant binding by Simier, with his ticket. I very wide raised band and superb gilt tooling to the spine. 40 full page lithographs. Some Foxing. A neat ink owners inscription at Hickstead Place on the first blank.The ticket states 'Simier, Relieur du Roi, Rue St Honore 152, a Paris'. Binder to the King, Simier's "variety and and technique were superb; he had no superior and few rivals during his career" ( Ramsden's French Bookbinders 1789-1848 ).

Amsterdam: Changuion, 1772. 5 volume set, 8 inches tall. A very fine 18th century binding in full citron straight grain morocco with a series of gilt bands, triple labels and dense blind tooling to the panels. The boards have a series of blind and gilt rolls. All edges gilt. Armorial bookplate and the bookseller's ticket of Pickering of Piccadilly. Slightly rubbed but still a binding of real quality.

Amsterdam: Humbert & Wetstein, 1727. 2 volumes bound in 1, 11 inches tall. A superb example of this celebrated dictionary in full calf with raised bands, label and extra gilt panels. Pink speckled edges. With the ink inscription 'William Davies (of) Combgrove' on the title page.

Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1688. 2 volume set, 7 3/4 inches tall. A splendid 18th century tree calf with gilt pallets and twin labels to the spine. Slight rubbing and split to the upper board of volume I but still firm and secure. Shelf label on paste down end papers. A fascinating and beautifully printed work with 104 Engraved Plates, many folding, of coins, emblems and medals. In the original French.

Paris: Chez Prault pere, 1758. 10 volume set, 6 inches tall. A most attractive set in full speckled calf with gilt bands, twin labels, fine floral gilt tooling to the panels and pink edges. An early, revised and augmented, edition of this great French dramatist's works published just 4 years after his death.

Paris: (Cosson for) Lecointe et Durey, 1824. 5 volume set, 7 inches tall, Quarter calf with twin labels and gilt centre tools. Some fading and rubbing to the boards. Small split to the foot of volume one, but still perfectly solid.First edition in French of The Inheritance (Edinburgh, 1824). Scottish novelist Susan Ferrier's popular second novel, translated by Defauconpret, already established as the translator of sir Walter Scott.

Paris: (Cosson for) Charles Gosselin, 1826. 4 volume set, 7 inches tall. Quarter calf with twin labels and gilt centre tools. First edition in French. E. Preston Dargan, ‘Scott and the French Romantics’, PMLA, Vol. 49, No. 2 (Jun 1934), 22 (May 24); Garside, Raven and Schöwerling, The English Novel 1770-1829, 1826: 70. OCLC lists several European copies, but only one in the US (Texas A & M).

Maestricht: Dufour & Philippe, 1778. 9 volume set, 7 inches tall. Full 18th century cat's paw calf with gilt bands, twin labels and a delightful gilt floral centre tool to the panels. Pink edges. Unusual green speckled endpapers. Bookplate. There are 2 small but nasty dents to the spines of volumes III and VIII, otherwise a very neat and clean set of this scarce collection. In the original French.

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees et Orme, 1809. 4 volume set, 9.5 inches tall. Very finely bound in half calf with gilt raised bands, label and ornate gilt tooling around a gilt tooled onlay in each panel. Engraved plates by Smirke. From the Library and with the bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst. An English edition in the original French. Very slight fading. A splendid copy of this celebrated 18th century picaresque novel.

Paris: J. Techener, 1860. Full morocco, 8 inches tall. A splendid full morocoo binding by Bedford, one of London's finest binders of the period, with gilt raised bands, very fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. dentelles and top edge. With the armorial bookplate of Ernest William Greg.

Paris: Didot, 1803 (AN XI). 5 volume set, 5.5 inches tall. A delightful set in full straight grain morocco with gilt bands, centre tools, gilt roll framing the boards and all edges gilt. In the original French.

Paris: Crapelet, 1853. Quarter calf, 11 inches tall. An elegant binding with twin labels, gilt. With the 2 hand coloured engraved portraits. Second edition. With the letters in Tudor English and French. A fascinating and rare book in excellent condition.

La Haye (The Hague): Adrian Moetjens, 1682. 2 volumes bound in 1, 5.5 inches tall. A beautiful late 19th century full straight grain calf with raised bands, extra gilt panels and very fine and ornate gilt tooling to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Watered silk doublures and free endpapers. From the Robert J. Hayhurst collection. In the original French.

Paris: Ladvocat, Librairie, Palais Royal, 1824. 10 volume set bound in 5, 6.75 inches tall. A remarkable binding in marbled calf with gilt bands, titles and panels. With a previous owner's name, Mr. Oliver, on the upper boards.

Paris: [Cosson for] Charles Gosselin and Ladvocat, 1824. 4 volume set, 7 inches tall. Quarter calf with twin labels and gilt centre tools. Some fading and rubbing to the boards.First edition in French of St Ronan’s Well (1824). There are two issues of 1824, one with a De Wincop imprint the other with Gosselin and Ladvocat; Dargan lists only the latter — both are institutionally very rare.

Paris: Hachette, 1840. 2 volume set, 8.75 inches tall. A very good looking full calf by Leighton with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. In the original French.

Paris: Michel Lévy Frères, 1861-1866. 3 volumes, 8.75 inches tall, Superbly bound in full Victorian calf with gilt raised bands, twin label and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. This collection includes the 1st and 2nd series of Meditations of which a 3rd volumes was published later. In the original French.

Paris: Lerouge & Petit, 1806. 4 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. An exceptionally pretty half morocco set from the beginning of the 19th century with gilt bands, finely tooled panels and label. Portrait. A most attractive set, in the original French. 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.