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London: Charles Knight and Co., 1839. 3 volume set, 9.5 inches tall. A wonderful full Spanish calf by J.Leighton of Brewer Street with raised gilt bands and stunning extra gilt panels. The boards are framed within sumptuous gilt rolls and fillets. With gilt dentelles and all edges. With the armorial bookplate of Gregory Haines. Illustrated throughout with hundreds of wood engravings from the designs of William Harvey. A fabulous set.

Amsterdam: sumptibus Jacobi Wetstenii, 1743. 4 volume set, 11.5 inches tall. A magnificently bound set with gilt raised bands and superb gilt tooling to the panels. Simple gilt fillets framing the boards, dentelles and all edges gilt. The index was published in 1746. With the armorial bookplate of Tatton Park. Slightly rubbed but with no loss or splitting. Beautifully printed in Greek and Latin. Dibdin considered this to be the most accurate and most beautiful edition of the works of Lucian, the great satirist and rhetorician.

London: Charles Griffin & Co. (1865). Full morocco, 7 3/4 inches tall. A fabulously bound volume by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands and a superb stylized floral device in the panels and en masse on the boards. Gilt tooled dentelles and all edges gilt. With the leather bookplate of W.A. Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Rubbing but perfectly firm. The frontispiece and 12 further images represent famous Shakesperean characters or creations. These are followed by 2 pages of illuminated text relating to the characters. We can find very few examples of this work in institutions and no other copies in the trade.

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, et Orme, 1809. 4 volume set, 11 inches tall. A magnificent crushed and straight grain morocco with triple gilt and blind tooled raised bands and dense gilt tooling to the panels. The boards have a central straight grain panel framed by very fine and elaborate gilt and blind tooling. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Large Paper deluxe edition with india proof impressions of the plates by Smirke. Offsetting from the plates, otherwise clean. The armorial bookplate of William Strahan. Some rubbing and scuffing to the edges but with no splitting or loss. An exceptionally impressive example of this celebrated edition. In the original French.

London: Printed by Bensley for Jennings and Tomkins, 1823. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. An exquisite little binding by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, beautiful gilt tooling to the panels and both boards. 2 vignettes, one hand-coloured and 24 hand-coloured plates. The plates are engraved by Tomkins from original designs by 'An Illustrious Personage, (Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III). From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. This copy was purchased by Queen Mary in 1940. Slight fading to the spine which is still lovely and bright, otherwise this charming work is in pristine condition.

Oxford, The University Press, 1857. 6 volume set, 9 inches tall. A most attractive mid Victorian half calf by Morrell, with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels, Gilt top edges. Narcissus Luttrell (1657–1732) was an English historian, diarist, and bibliographer, and briefly Member of Parliament for two different Cornish boroughs. His Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs from September 1678 to April 1714, a chronicle of the Parliaments of England and Great Britain, was distilled from his diary and published in 1857, after Macaulay had drawn attention to the manuscript in All Souls College, Oxford (Wikipedia). A very fine set of the first edition of this important work which also covers major events in diplomacy, literature and the arts.

Amsterdam: Elzevir ( Apud Ludovicum & Danielem Elzevirios), 1665. 3 volume set, 7.75 inches tall. A wonderful set in a full crushed morocco, unsigned but possibly by Clarke at the beginning of the 19th century. With gilt raised bands, superb gilt floral tooling to the panels. Gilt rolls, fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Fine engraved frontispiece to volume 1. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Sold at Sotheby's in December 1857. A fine set of this work by this great Roman Historian, in the original Latin.

Amsterdam: Wetsten (& Hermann Besseling), 1743-46. 4 volume set, 11 3/4 inches tall. A very fine mid 18th century goatskin binding with gilt raised bands, exceedingly fine gilt tooled panels and gilt fillets and corner tools framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Greek and Latin text, titles in red and black. Engraved frontispiece and plate in the first volume. With the bookplate of the Earls of Egerton of Tatton Park. A little rubbed and some light foxing. An impressive and complete set. Lucian of Samosata was a Greek Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridiculed superstition, religious practices, and belief in the paranormal. (Wikipedia).

London: The Leadenhall Press, 1892. 2 volume set, 6 inches tall. A delightful little set in Spanish Calf by Zaehnsdorf with gilt bands and twin labels. The boards are framed within triple gilt fillets and a gilt roll. A charming gilt wreath and portrait is blocked on both upper boards. No. 9 of just 112 copies, signed by Andrew Tuer, printed by the Leadenhall Press on hand made paper. Armorial bookplate. The original title page, dated 1809, and frontispiece are reprinted in volume I. A beautiful copy.

London: Chapman and Hall, 1865-69. A 17 volume collection, 7 3/4 inches tall. An exceptionally good looking Victorian full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and intricate gilt tooling to the panels. A wide gilt roll, gilt and blind fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Fine engraved frontispieces, title pages and full page illustrations by Phiz throughout. Though not a complete set of Lever's works this is a beautifully bound collection of 10 of his most popular novels, individually published, in 17 volumes. In his day the Irish novelist, Charles Lever, was hugely popular and influential and his rollicking style is still enjoyed.

London: Joseph Thomas 1841. Full calf, 10 inches tall. A glorious Spanish calf by Tout with gilt raised bands, triple labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels. A Cambridge panel is framed within triple fillets on the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges. Profusely illustrated throughout by Tony Johannot. A stunning copy of this picaresque novel, first published in 1714. This comic novel concerns the wanderings of Asmodeus, a worn out, refined and likeable devil, and Zambullo, his new companion. Translated into English by Joseph Thomas.

London: Chapple, 1814. 2 volume set, 7 inches tall. A very fine full calf by Robson & Kerslake with gilt raised bands, fine floral gilt tooling to the panels, twin labels, dentelles and all edges gilt. Bookplate. Some wear to the joints, especially the upper joint of the first volume but still solid. The text block is spotless. There are earlier editions of Selections from La Fontaine's Tales but this is the first complete edition in English and as such is highly sought after. With 40 full page engraved plates. A beautiful set of the works of this great 17th century French fabulist and poet.

London: Richard Taylor, 1832. Full morocco, 11 inches tall. A superb c.1835 full red morocco with gilt raised bands, ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels and a wide gilt roll and fillets to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With this work Lucretius was a great influence on the Augustan poets and on philosophers of the Enlightenment constructing a new Christian humanism. In the original Latin.

Paris: chez la Veuve P. Bertrand, 1714. Full calf, 11 inches tall. Splendid full later cat's paw calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine floral gilt tooled panels. Gilt dentelles and pink edges. With 65 portraits of the French kings. Some foxing to the preliminaries. Expert repair to the title page. With the bookplates of the Marquis de Biencourt of the Château de Masfaure.

London, Paris, New York: Goupil & Co., 1900. Full morocco, 13 inches tall. A magnificent binding with gilt raised bands and handsome Edwardian gilt tooled panels and boards. One of a limited edition of 1500 examples. Embellished with a splendid colour portrait frontispiece and monochrome plates throughout. A little foxing to the preliminaries and slight rubbing but still a fine example of Goupil's luxurious productions.

London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1913. 7 volume set, 7 1/4 inches tall. Splendid set in full calf with gilt raised bands and gilt tooled panels. Gilt corner tools and twin fillets frame the prize gilt block on the upper boards. Prize bookplate on the paste down endpaper. Slight fading of the spines but still a very bright smart set by this great Irish historian.

Paris: Chez Ambroise Tardieu, 1821. 4 volume set, 8 inches tall. A delightful full mottled calf by Bayntun of Bath with gilt raised bands, twin labels and very fine gilt tooling to the panels. A wide gilt roll frames the boards. Dentelles and all edges gilt. Decorated with 8 engravings by Alexandre-Marie Colin, a student of Girodet. Slight rubbing to the edges and some light foxing. An exceptional set of this licentious novel.