Limited Edition

London: The Grolier Society, 1893. 17 volumes, 9 inches tall. This is a unique collection with the 16 volume set published by the Grolier Society, uniformly bound with 'Napoleon Intime' ('Intimate Napoleon'), all in English, in a superb half crushed morocco binding. The elegant spine has gilt raised bands and delicate gilt tooling with red calf onlays. Gilt top edges. There is slight rubbing to the first volume and the green of the morocco has faded to a handsome and bright tan. This set is number 49 of the 'Édition Connoisseur Astrale' and is limited to just 75 sets with the plates in 2 states. 'Napoleon Intime' was 'Privately Printed for Subscribers Only'. A wonderful set of 'the Life of Napoleon' in its most exclusive limited edition with its extra volume.

London: T. Rickaby, 1793. 3 volume set, 12 inches tall. A magnificent tall 18th century set in a later binding by Lucien Broca, one of London's best and most remarkable binders. A half crushed morocco binding with gilt raised bands and superb gilt tooling to the panels. There is some fading but still very smart on the shelf. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Also with the bookplate of John Caillaud and the inscription in a fine hand: "The copy of Hudibras was presented to me by General Caillaud of Aston House Oxfordshire whilst on a visit with him in September 1810". With 3 frontispeice portraits, 22 vignettes, 10 (of a suite of 11?) folding Hogarth engraved plates and a further 34 engraved plates. A magnificent tall set, limited to 200 copies, of this great 17th century mock-heroic satirical poem.

London: The Villon Society, 1892. Full morocco, 9 inches tall. A rather spectacular binding by Popelin with gilt raised bands and magnificent gilt tooling to the panels and boards, splendid dentelles and top edge gilt. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey, and with the leather bookplate of Rudolf August Witthaus. The book is solid and firm but there is a split to the top inch of leather on both boards. There is an ink inscription facing the half title. This copy is number 124 in a limited edition on hand-made paper. Privately printed 'for private circulation only' due to the scurrilous nature of Villon's verse. François Villion was a Parisian 15th century poet whose poems are sprinkled with mysteries and hidden jokes. They are peppered with the slang of the time and the underworld subculture in which he moved and are also replete with private jokes and full of the names of real people, rich men, royal officials, lawyers, prostitutes, and policemen, from medieval Paris.

London: Longman et al., 1817. 2 volume set, 7 3/4 inches tall. A superb full crushed morocco by J. Wright, one of the greatest binders of the period. With gilt raised bands, smart labels and extra gilt panels. Gilt dentelles and all edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Vice Admiral Sir John Mennis (or Mennes), was an English naval officer, who went on to be Comptroller of the Navy. He was also considered a wit. His comic and satirical verses, written in correspondence with James Smith, were published in 1656. He figures prominently in the Diary of Samuel Pepys, who reported directly to Mennes at the Navy Office and thought him an incompetent civil servant, but a delightful social companion. Pepys stated that Mennes's skills as a poet and mimic made him the best of company. He describes a memorable evening when Mennes and John Evelyn engaged in a mimicry contest. Mennes's highly entertaining verses first appeared in 1656 as Musarum Deliciæ or the Muses's Recreation. They appear here in a scarce Regency edition.

Paris: Privately Printed, 1850 (1890). Full morocco, 6 3/4 inches tall. An extraordinary and most attractive binding by Pétrus Ruban with gilt raised bands and gilt genitalia tooling to the panels, boards and dentelles, befitting the "indecent prose" of the text. All edges gilt. Limited to 50 copies on Japanese Paper. 'The President', was the honorary nickname attributed to Apollonie Sabatier, (pseudonym of Aglaé Savatier), who was 'one of the most bewitching Salon mistresses of the 19th century', and hosted nearly all of the French artists of her time. She was said to have astonishing wit, sensuality and beauty, and was the muse of sculptors, painters and authors alike. "In October 1850, Gautier addressed a letter to her "buffoonish and obscene, commenting with a Rabelaisian earthiness on what his friend and himself had learned in matters of sexuality during the journey they were making".......Madame Sabatier distributed copies to all her guests and the reading of Gautier's "indecent prose" became a popular event at Parisian evenings." It would not however be published until the death of its addressee in 1890, rather than the 1850 printed on the title page. "Tire a Tres Petit Nombre Pour quelques curieux Sur papier Imperial du Japon" The obscene frontispiece is lacking and clearly was never bound in. With the bookplate of Daniel Henry Holmes Ingalls.

London: Essex House, 1899. Full morocco, 9 inches tall. The poems of William Shakespeare according to the text of the earliest editions. Arranged, and collated with the originals by F.S. Ellis, and printed at the Essex House Press, under the care of C.R. Ashbee. Superbly printed in black with red headings on handmade paper. The Flat back spine and boards have superb gilt tooling in the finest 'arts and crafts' manner. Gilt dentelles and all edges. There are two ink inscription on the first blank. Elaborate initials throughout and one fine full page illustration of Venus and Adonis. Number 258 of 450 copies. Within a year of William Morris's death the Kelmscott Press closed and several of the key designers under Ashbee moved to create the Essex House Press and retained much of the former's style of printing and binding.

London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1880. 2 volume set, 10 3/4 inches tall. Extraordinary half morocco by Hawes of Cambridge with wide gilt raised bands, ornate gilt tooling to the panels and gilt top edge. Very unusually a full page bookplate has been bound in to both volumes, that of Alfred Percy Allsopp. This set is number 300 of a limited edition of 1000 copies. Smith, Elder & Co. produced deluxe well illustrated limited editions in this tall format of the works of several great novelists including Dickens, Thackeray, Smollett and Fielding but this single title is as far as they got with Eliot. Profusely illustrated by Sir Frederick Leighton on India paper laid down. A pristine copy of her great historical novel set in 15th century Florence at the time of the Renaissance.

Paris: F. Ferroud, 1906. Full crushed morocco, 10 1/2 inches tall. A remarkable binding by Affolter with gilt raised bands and delicate gilt floral tooling framed within gilt pallets and a cream morocco onlay. The boards likewise are framed within a cream morocco between gilt fillets, An array of exquisite gilt floral tooling highlighted by blue, yellow and orange onlays. All edges gilt and doublures and free end paper of heavy silk. The secondary endpapers are of specially designed heavy paper. The text is framed with original designs by Louis Edouard-Fournier who also is the illustrator. The illustrations are in a total of 3 states. There is an extra suite of the borders. This is number 27 of 80 examples 'in -4 carré réimpossés sur papierdu Japon ou grand vélin du Marais'. Light foxing. With its original, slightly worn, leather trimmed, felt lined case. A superb example of the work of this great binder.