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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.

Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1884. 2 volume set, 11 inches tall. An elegant full crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands and the panels and boards framed with gilt pallets and rolls. Wide gilt dentelles and gilt top edges. Armorial bookplates. 11 Japan mounted proofs and hundreds of woodcut illustrations throughout.

Paris: Dubochet, 1842. Full calf, 10.5 inches tall. A stunning full cat's paw calf by Clarke & Bedford, one of the finest binders of the period in pristine condition. With gilt raised bands, delightful label and superb gilt tooling to the panels. With gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial bookplate. Embellished with 4 hand coloured engraved plates, 2 portraits, and full page engravings and vignettes throughout.

London: Orr, 1853. Full morocco, 10 1/4 inches tall. A stunning mid-Victorian full straight grain morocco by Mansell. With gilt raised bands and superb extra gilt tooling to the panels. The straight grain of the boards is framed within a series of gilt fillets and rolls. All the edges are gauffered. Embellished with 25 full page steel engraved views and further vignettes and full page wood engravings throughout. Slight foxing to the frontispiece and title page, otherwise clean and with minor abrasions to the upper board. A remarkable example of this fine edition.

London: W. Wright, 1820. Full Calf, 9 1/2 inches tall. A superb full mottled calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt floral tooling to the panels. A gilt roll and twin gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Embellished with 17 full page hand coloured aquatints and a splendid illustrated title page by Charles Williams. A Lovely copy of this hilarious Doctor Syntax spinoff.

London: Macmillan, 1894. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A stunning full crushed morocco bound by Riviere in 1895 in absolutely pristine condition. With gilt raised bands and exquisite floral gilt tooling to the panels. The boards framed within a triple gilt fillet. Wide gilt dentelles and gilt top edges, the remaining edges untrimmed. This is one of 152 large paper copies. This copy is signed by Hugh Thomson on the title page. The original cloth covers and wraps fot the large paper and ordinary paper editions are bound in. With 76 illustrations by Hugh Thompson who has signed the title page. A wonderful copy of these beautifully illustrated English poems.

London: John Scott, 1806. 5 volume set, 9 inches tall. A wonderful full straight grain morocco with the ticket of C. Hering, one of the greatest English binders of the period. With gilt raised bands end dense and very finely tooling to the panels and gilt fillets, rolls and corner tools to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With over 145 superbly engraved portraits. From the library of Evelyn de Rothschild.

London: William Fearman, 1819. Half morocco, 11 inches tall. A splendid later binding by Zaehnsdorf with raised bands, gilt title and top edge. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. With 19 bright hand-coloured plates "By an artist Recently Returned from the Continent". Each view is most illuminating particularly the 'Interior of a Coffee House', 'The Morgue' with a young child come to have a look and 'The Gaming Table'. A fine clean copy of this scarce colour plate book. With the text in English and French.

London: John C. Nimmo, 1890. 2 volume set, 10 1/2 inches tall. A very fine full morocco binding by the great firm of J. Leighton of Brewer Street. With gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. With the bookplate of Alfred de Rothschild. Some superficial marking to the binding, but a super set. From a limited edition of 210 copies with the etchings in 2 states and the 'Masks', illustrating the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, hand coloured. A wonderful set of the Memoirs of this great Venetian 18th century playwright in English.

Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1878. 24 volume set, 7 inches tall. A delightful half morocco by Bickers with delicate and unusual gilt tooling on a smooth back. All edges gilt. Bookplate. This set is complete, including the 3 volume 'George Eliot's Life as related in her letters and journals' by J. W. Cross. There is a slight stain to several spines, not effecting the text block or shape of the volume at all. A superb set of the works of one of England's greatest 19th century novelists.

London: Richard Bentley, 1837-45. 8vo (9½" tall). Superb full red crushed morocco, by TOUT. Gilt raised bands and pallets, fine gilt tooling to panels. Boards framed with gilt floral corner tool. Gilt doublures with floral patterned endpapers. Top edge gilt. Foxing. Armorial bookplate of the noted book collector Hermann Marx. Original issues of Bentley's Magazine. Bound with special title page, contents and a preface dated 1889 by the collector John Waugh. Autograph letter in black ink bound in, dated "Sept. 2" [1844], 4 pages. A unique copy.

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.

AMSTERDAM: Louys & Daniel Elzevier, 1661. Full morocco, 5 1/2 inches tall. A beautiful little volume bound in a later (c.1820) full straight grain morocco by SIMIER, the great Parisien bookbinder, with gilt raised bands and magnificent gilt tooling to the panels. Signed at the foot 'Relié par Simier'. Simier is described thus by Ramsden 'His variety and technique were superb; he had no superior and few rivals during his career". The boards are framed within a gilt roll, fillets and corner tools. All edges gilt, gilt dentelles and pink watered silk endpapers. From the Hayhurst collection. A lovely copy in superb condition. In French.

London: Ackermann, 1823. 3 volume set, 5 1/2 inches tall. The exquisite miniature edition of 1823 bound in later full calf by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, twin labels, fine gilt tooling to the panels, twin gilt fillets framing the boards, dentelles and all edges gilt. Illustrated with 80 hand-coloured plates by Thomas Rowlandson, including two pictorial title pages, as called for. Brilliant comic satirical verse matched by Rowlandson's equally comic hand coloured aquatints.

London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., 1895. 2 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A wonderful full crushed morocco by Bumpus with gilt raised bands and extraordinary fine and elaborate gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Number 61 of 750 copies printed on Deckle Edge Paper, with etchings on Handmade Paper. A truly spectacular binding in pristine condition.

London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1899. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A sparkling full crushed morocco binding by Bayntun Riviere. With gilt raised bands and finely gilt tooled panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges, the remaining edges deckled. A pristine set of one of Humphreys luxurious printings on hand made paper. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Waldo Emerson was American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.

London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1821. Full morocco, 9 3/4 inches tall. A glorious later full morocco binding by the great firm of Bedford in pristine condition. With gilt raised bands, superb floral gilt tooling to the panels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, wide gilt dentelles and top edge gilt. With the armorial bookplate of Bertram Freeman Mitford, Earl of Redesdale, grandfather of the Mitford sisters. With 36 hand coloured aquatints by I.R. and George Cruikshank and 3 folding pages of songs. Two of the plates (facing pages 286 and 310 are laid down without the titles). The images illustrate the hilarious and bawdy adventures of Jerry and his companions in London. With adverts and original wrappers bound in. A beautiful example of the first edition.

London: John W. Parker, 1855: 1855. 4 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A spectacular mid-Victorian full hard grain pink morocco by Grieve of Edinburgh, with gilt raised bands, green labels and a blind Aldus leaf centre tool. Wide gilt rolls and blind fillets frame the boards. With the armorial bookplate of Peter Carmichael. Maps, including 2 double page. A superb set of this great history devoted to the relationship between the conquering Spanish forces and the native American Indians.

London: Sharpe and Son et al., 1819. 4 volume set, 9 inches tall. A beautiful Regency full red morocco by the great firm of White of Pall Mall with gilt raised bands, gilt pallets and simple centre tools. Double gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelled and all edges. Portraits in volume I and an engraved frontispiece in volume II, as called for. Very slight fading to the spines of volumes III & IV, but overall an exceptionally fine set.