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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).

Paris: Kugelmann, 1844. 2 volume set, 10 inches tall. A fine and very bright half morocco with gilt raised bands, floral gilt tooling to the panels and yellow edges. With the binder's ticket of Albert Günther of Vienna, and from the Library of the Auersperg Palais, though with the bookplates neatly removed. Numerous wood engraved plates and vinettes by Célestin Nanteuil and others illustrating the colourful, romantic and savage history of these famous streets and boulevards. A fine set of the first edition.

London: Bickers & Son, 1903. Full calf, 7 1/2 inches tall. A splendid full tree calf by Bickers with gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A gilt fillet frames the boards, the upper of which has a handsome gilt prize block. On the first blank is a neat prize bookplate dated 1923. Light foxing particularly on the title page. Twenty of Shakespeare's most popular plays are summarised by Charles and Mary Lamb, several of which are illustrated.

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: 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: Chapman and Hall, 1861. Full calf, 9 inches tall. A superb Victorian binding with gilt raised bands, triple labels and elaborate gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt fillets and centre tools frame the boards, gilt dentelles and top edge. Armorial bookplate. In his day the Irish novelist, Charles Lever, was hugely popular and influential. This is a fine copy of the first edition beautifully illustrated with full page engravings by Phiz.

Paris: Garnier Frères, 1864. 2 volume set, 9 1/4 inches tall. A splendid full honey calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and extra gilt panels. Triple gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges. Steel engravings after designs by G. Staal. From the library of Alfred de Rothschild. Very slight occasional foxing. 'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane' was an early eighteenth century picaresque novel, popular all over Europe and translated into English several times, most famously by Tobias Smollett as as 'The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane'. Here in the original French.

London: Nunn et al., 1818. 2 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A handsome set of this influential work in half calf with gilt raised bands and beautifully gilt tooled panels. Some scuffing to the boards. With a previous owner's name 'Mr Moon' neatly written in ink on the paste down end paper.

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 a tiny ink inscription on the first blank reading: ‘With E. C. Harding’s best wishes 1835’. 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.

London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1893. Half morocco, 7 1/2 inches tall. A superb late Victorian binding with gilt raised bands and extremely ornate and dense gilt tooling to the panels. Top edge gilt. Slight foxing to the preliminaries. A terrific example of the first edition of these rollicking tales of adventure.

London: Crosby, 1804. Full morocco, 7 1/4 inches tall. A very pretty Georgian straight grain morocco binding with gilt raised bands and delicate centre tools. The boards are framed within a lovely gilt roll and triple fillets. All edges gilt. Illustrated with fine engraved vignettes throughout. A neat ink inscription on the reverse of the free end paper and a previous owner's name on the title page. The half title has been torn out. Slightly grubby but still a charming volume.

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.

Dublin: William Curry 1841. 2 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A very bright half calf with gilt raised bands, red label and striking floral gilt tooling to the panels. Illustrated throughout with full page plates by Phiz. Hugely popular in his time Lever, 'The irish Dickens', is now out of fashion, but this tale of an rogue Irish dragoon who witnesses the Battle of Waterloo is still a good read.

London: Charles Tilt, 1840. Full calf, 7 1/2 inches tall. A very fine binding by Riviere with gilt raised bands, olive label and delicate floral gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and a triple fillet. Gilt dentelles and top edge. The original cloth covers and spine are bound in. First edition. With 8 engraved plates and many vignettes by Leech. A very fine example with a few marks to the binding.

London: Richard Bentley, 1840. Full calf, 7 1/2 inches tall. A very fine binding by Riviere with gilt raised bands, olive label and delicate floral gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and a triple fillet. Gilt dentelles and top edge. The original cloth covers and spine are bound in. First edition. With over 50 comic vignettes by Leech.

London: Payne, 1811. Full morocco, 11 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent binding by J. Rodwell of Golden Square and with their ticket, in full straight grain morocco. With gilt and blind raised bands, elaborate gilding to the panels, dentelles and all edges. The boards are framed within a sequence of gilt and blind rolls and fillets. Engraved frontispiece and folding hand coloured map. There is some staining to the margin of the frontispiece, otherwise the text is clean. The binding is heavily rubbed but not splitting and without loss, the edges of the boards are heavily scuffed. Rodwell was a great binder in the Regency period and examples of his work, with their ticket, are scarce.

Göttingen: Ruprecht, 1807. 6 volume set, 7 inches tall. A handsome full vellum with calf labels, some chipped. Foxing. A set of Livy's Histories in the original Latin edited by Georg Alexander Rupert. From an Oxfordshire Country House.

Paris: Didot, 1810. 2 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. Scarce utopian novel in superb full mottled calf from the beginning of the 19th century. With gilt bands, twin labels and very fine gilt tooling to the panels. Speckled edge. A neat ink owner's name 'Stewart' at the head of the first title page. A remarkable work purporting to be the travels of a Chinese explorer in Europe 100 years in the future. 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. A splendid example of this rare and fantastical work.

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.