Letters

London: John Murray, 1907. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. Edwardian full calf bindings of the highest quality from the library of Alfred de Rothschild but without his bookplate. With gilt raised bands, twin labels and ornate gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt fillets and blind fillets frame the boards. Gilt top edges. Illustrated throughout. Foxing to the foredges. The original wrappers bound in. A splendid set of fascinating correspondence.

London: John Murray, 1901. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A beautiful Edwardian full calf binding from the library of Alfred de Rothschild, but without his bookplate. With gilt raised bands, twin labels and beautiful gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt and blind fillets frame the boards. Foxing to the preliminaries then pristine. Illustrated throughout. The notorious Lady Sarah Lennox was 'Daughter of Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond, and successively the Wife of Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury, Bart.; and of the Hon: George Napier'. The work also includes 'a short political sketch of the years 1760 to 1763 by Henry Fox, 1st Lord Holland'. A favourite of both King George II and King George III she led a remarkable and scandalous life.

London: J. Dodsley, 1784. Full calf, 8 1/2 inches tall. A very handsome 18th century speckled calf with gilt bands, twin labels, tiny star centre tools and curious gilt fillets to the boards. With a very nice booksellers/binders ticket. With the bookplate of Ellen James. Some rubbing but overall a fine copy of these mainly fictionalised letters.

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'.

Londres (London, but probably Geneva, 1771. Full calf, 8 inches tall. A superb 18th century full calf with gilt raised bands, red label and fine floral gilt tooling to the panels. Speckled boards and pink edges. With the bookplate 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. A splendid copy of a scarce title.

London: John Murray, 1827. Full morocco, 11 inches tall. A magnificent Regency full straight grain morocco with the gilt title within a cartouche to the spine and the arms of the Earl of Leitrim (motto "Patris Virtutibus") to the boards. With frontispiece facsimile of an ALS from King George III. Slight rubbing to the head and tail of the spine but with no splitting or loss. This superb regency binding, presumably commissioned by Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim (1768-1858) houses a controversial series of letters between the King and his ministers.

London: Mawman et al., 1820. Full calf, 6 3/4 inches tall. Full Georgian lilac calf with gilt raised bands, olive label and delightful gilt and blind tooling to the panels. Gilt and blind fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Portrait.

Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1822. Full calf, 5 1/4 inches tall. A charming little Georgian binding with gilt raised bands and delightful gilt floral tooling to the panels. The splendid embossed boards are framed within gilt and blind rolls. The second title page has the previous owners initials. With engraved frontispiece and title page.

London: Henry Colburn, 1828. 2 volume set, 11 inches tall. A neat Georgian half calf with raised bands, twin labels and ornate gilt tooling to the panels, with some rubbing to the bands. Pink speckled edges. Engraved portrait and further full page engraved plates. A very handsome copy of a scarce work. 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.

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: Dove, 1827. Full vellum, 5 inches tall. A beautiful little vellum binding with label and fine gilt tooled panels, the boards are framed within a blue outline. A particularly clean copy inside and out. A collection of letters critical to George III, the true authorship has been much debated but never verified.

London: Dilly, 1793. Full straight grain morocco, 9.5 inches tall. A fine example of the work of one of the greatest bookbinders of the late 18th century, with his bookplate. With his typical twin gilt raised bands, triple fillet framing the boards, dentelles and all edges gilt. Portraits.

London: J.F. Dove, 1826. Full vellum, 5 inches tall. A delightful little full vellum with gilt bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A blue fillet frames the boards. With 'The Life of Robert Burns' by Dr. Currie. Engraved frontispiece and title page.

London: Moxon, 1841. Full calf, 9.25 inches tall. With gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels, label and blind and gilt rolls framing the panels. Two parts bound in one, complete. With a Sketch of his Life by Thomas Noon Talfourd, one of his executors.

Paris: E. Houndaille, 1839. 2 volume set, 10 inches tall. A very finely gilt tooled half calf with wide gilt raised bands and extra gilt panels. Prefaced with an historical essay by M. & Mme Guizot. Full page engraved plates by Gigoux. Some foxing but overall a fine set of this great 12th century correspondence. In the original French.

Paris: Belin; Caille; Gregoire; Volland, 1793. 7 volumes, 5.75 inches tall. These are the complete letters from a larger set of Rousseau's Works. A curious quarter calf with vellum tips. Bright labels and gilt bands at the head and tail. Extraordinary speckled and stenciled edges. A bright, clean set.

London: Longman & Co, 1853. 2 volume set, 7.5 inches tall. A classic full calf set exquisitely bound by STAMPER ( of Frith Street, Soho ).With gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Portraits and engraved title pages. A charming set.

Paris: Migneret, 1801 ( AN IX ). 4 volumes, 8 inches tall. A fine very early 19th century mottled half calf binding with a double label, simple gilt centre tools and gilt bands. The curved calf corners are striking. Speckled yellow boards. Pale yellow edges. With the bookplate of the Chateau de Cirey in each volume.

London: John Murray, 1916. 2 volume set, 8.5 inches tall. A handsome Edwardian half morocco binding with raised bands, titles, simple gilt framed panels and gilt top edge. With 10 full page illustrations. An elegant copy of this fascinating work.

London: John Sharpe, 1820. Full calf, 5.25 inches tall. 2 volumes bound in 1 complete. Extraordinary full calf binding with ornate floral tooling on its 'flat back' spine, delicate gilt tooling to the boards, dentelles and all edges. The armorial bookplate of the Earl of Ilchester. In very good condition.