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London: Rivington et al., 1811. Full morocco, 12 inches tall. A spectacular binding by Bedford in full red morocco with gilt raised bands, superb floral gilt tooling to the panels and triple gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of Joseph Spencer Graydon. With 18 magnificent woodcuts, mostly of the early English monarchs. This is the most well known work of the 16th century John Rastell, being a chronicle dealing with English history from the earliest times to the reign of Richard III. Rastell was also the first English printer of polyphonic music. A wonderful copy of this entertaining history.

London: Cadell, 1794. 10 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A superb Georgian tree calf with gilt bands, typical late 18th century gilt tooling to the panels, triple labels and an Etruscan key gilt rolls framing the boards. Speckled blue edges. Embellished with 6 plates and 5 folding maps. Minor foxing and slight rubbing but a fine set of these classic histories.

London: Ackermann, 1815. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent copy in full navy blue morocco for Sawyer with gilt raised bands, very fine gilt tooled panels and top edge gilt. Triple gilt fillet framing the boards. With 2 maps, 1 folding and 17 superb hand coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson.

London: Patrick Martin, 1815. Full calf, 8.5 inches tall. A delightful later binding by Riviere with gilt raised bands, label and elegant floral gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt dentelles and all edges. The boards are framed within corner tools and triple fillet. From the library of the Duke of Gloucester, Son of King George V and Queen Mary and brother of George VI and Edward VIII, at Kensington Palace. Embellished with 15 splendid satyrical hand coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson. This anonymous work has been ascribed to Colonel David Roberts. In pristine condition.

London: Fellowes, Rivington et al, 1857. 12 volume set, 8.75 inches tall. A classic Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and most attractive floral gilt tooling to the panels. An exceptionally handsome set of this great work.

London: John Murray, 1840-1856. 16 volumes, 8 1/2 inches tall. Half Calf with gilt bands and olive label. Red speckled edges. Volume I begins at page 113, then complete to the end of volume 16. Profusely illustrated with engraved plates, some folding and some hand coloured. A smart run 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.

London: Printed for the Ballad Society by Taylor, 1871. Hertford: Austin, 1874-1889. 6 volumes, 9 inches tall. A beautiful late Victorian half morocco with gilt raised bands, gilt pallets, titles and top edges. With the bookplate of West Dean Library (West Dean House, near Chichester, Sussex). Some foxing. A magnificent collection of ballads, originally formed by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, enlarged by successive owners, among them, by John, Duke of Roxburghe, after whom the collection is named. 3 further volumes were printed up to 1899. Any decent runs are scarce, but especially so in a fine binding. Illustrated with delightful cuts throughout.

Paris: Cellot, 1768. 7 volume set, 8 inches tall. A fine 18th century full mottled calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and floral gilt tooling. Pink Edges. Decorated with a portrait of Racine, 12 plates designed by Gravelot. A splendid set, in the original French, of the works of one of the great French dramatists.

London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1892. 2 volume set, 11.25 inches tall. Magnificent full red morocco with bold and very unusual gilt tooling to the spine and upper boards and gilt top edge. Blind tooled pigskin endpapers. Number 153 of a Deluxe limited edition of 210 examples on japanese vellum. Embellished with portrait and 16 fine plates by Louis Chalon.

London: Chatto and Windus, 1896-1903. 17 volume set, 7.75 inches tall. A very neat set finely bound in half crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with wide gilt raised bands, gilt floral centre tools and gilt top edge. 'The Library Edition'. Charles Reade, most well known for 'The Cloister and the Hearth', was a hugely popular Victorian novelist. Arthur Conan Doyle declared 'The Cloister and the Hearth' to be his favorite novel and Oscar Wilde called it Reade's "one beautiful book, after which he wasted the rest of his life in a foolish attempt to be modern".

Paris: Chez les Libraires Associes, 1809-1810. 13 volumes bound in 14, 7 inches tall. A delightful English full calf with gilt raised bands and dense gilt tooling to the panels. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry, and with his elaborate bookplate. 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. On the first blank there is the neat ink inscription 'Frances Anne Vane Tempest'. There is some mottling to the spines and some abrasions to the boards, particularly to volume 1. Being an English binding the title is in English whereas the text is in the original French.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1887. Full morocco, 8 inches tall. Bound to the finest quality by Leighton of Soho with gilt raised bands and neat gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Dentelles and all edges gilt. Bookplate of Leopold de Rothschild. Colour title page and 6 further colour plates.

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: Cadell et al, 1830 & 1834. 2 volumes, 8 inches tall. very fine full crushed morocco by Holloway. With gilt raised bands, exceptionally attractive gilt tooling to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. Bookplate. Profusely illustrated throughout with engraved vignettes by J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Stothard, and others. These titles are frequently found in fine bindings of the period and these are of a particularly high quality.

Paris: de l'imprimerie de la société littéraire typographique, 1785. Full morocco, 5.5 inches tall. A beautiful little 18th century full morocco binding with gilt pallets, floral gilt tooling to the panels, twin olive labels and a triple fillet framing the boards. All edges gilt. These 2 volumes comprise the first 2 volumes only of a 24 volume set of Rousseau's Works but are the complete political works. There is a library ticket on the front pastedown endpaper with a crowned heraldic device with the motto 'Pax et Patria'. On the first blank an ancient inscription in red crayon reads: '#24 Bibliotheque de Voltaire. Vente de M. de Villette'. Though part of a larger set, an interesting item in itself.

London: Cadell, 1800. 2 volume set, 8.5 inches tall. A superb binding with gilt raised bands, label and exceptionally fine gilt tooling to the panels and boards. With dentelles and all edges gilt. Portrait. A pristine copy of this early enlarged edition.

London: (Leonard Smithers) Privately Printed, 1896-1897. 4 Volume set, 7.5 inches tall. Superbly bound by Nichols in full calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and dense gilt tooling to the panels. Top edge gilt, the other edges untrimmed. 'This edition is strictly limited to 1000 numbered copies, 500 of which are for America'. This copy unnumbered. A fascinating work by the team of Leonard Smithers and Harry Sidney Nichols, celebrated printers and publishers of erotic and pornographic volumes.