•  VD16 F 2908. See Brunet, II, 1401 for 1585 and 1596 eds. On Fenton, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Contemporary vellum, covers framed in blind, spine with early hand-inked title; vellum moderately dust-soiled, joints repaired, upper corners and edges rubbed. Early pages with inked underlining; a few subsequent instances of pencilled bracketing. Scattered light staining, pages mostly clean.  (27755)

The additional engraved title-page, done by P. Sluyter after a design by J. Groere, depicts the author at work on a moonlit night, and is decorated with medallions of Athena and her owl; the title-page is printed in red and black, with an engraved vignette of an Attic city.

Binding: Prize binding (without certificate) of contemporary vellum, covers framed and panelled in double blind fillets with gilt-stamped corner fleurons, gilt-stamped medallion on each cover showing a scimitar-wielding knight bearing two crossed keys on his shield, supported by monkeys and surmounted by lounging figures grasping snakes. Spine with gilt-ruled raised bands, gilt-stamped compartment decorations, and early inked title.

•  Brunet, II, 1524; Graesse, II, 46; Schweiger, II, 379.   Binding as above, small areas of discoloration, ties now lacking; front hinge (inside) very unobtrusively reinforced. Front pastedown with affixed slip of old cataloguing, partially obscuring an early inked annotation. Title-page with shadows of pencilled numeral and publication annotation. Some margins darkened or with mild spotting, pages otherwise clean, and all edges red.  (25963)

Curio's printer's device (Heitz, Basel, 108) appears on the title-page with another version (Heitz: Basel, 111) on both leaf 2D8v and last leaf verso.

Provenance:  17th-century shelfmark in gilt at base of spine ( “V” over “IX”); 18th-century ownership inscription (name only) of José de Giunta Lobo and late-19th-century inscription of James J. Woolsey on title-page. Woolsey's signature again at head of col. 2 of text. 19th-century stamp of defunct library on title-page.

Via WorldCat we locate only three copies in the U.S.

•  VD16 G1757.   Mid-17th-century plain sheep with early (!!) repairs to head and foot of spine and to fore-edges of covers. Lacking 12 leaves of the preliminaries, we believe by someone's intention. Minor worming (mostly pinhole type) touching some letters; early and late leaves dust-soiled; short tears in some margins of early leaves. An interesting copy of a scarce edition.  (27258)

The work was additionally printed in Dublin and Basil in the same year. OCLC notes that a third volume was printed almost ten years later, by J. Murray; that supplementary volume is not present here.

Signed binding: Contemporary treed calf, covers framed in gilt rolls, beautifully rebacked with gilt-stamped spines preserving handsome original gilt-stamped, two-color leather title and volume labels, turn-ins with gilt rolls. Front pastedown of vol. I with binder's ticket: “Pigge Binders, Lynn.”

A charming silhouette of Gibbon serves as frontispiece to volume I.

•  ESTC T79696; Allibone 663; Brunet, II, 1586; Norton, Gibbon, 131.   Bindings as above with original leather showing some scuffs and abrasions; gilt on original spine labels a little (but a little only) dimmed. Hinges (inside) reinforced. Final page of each volume, back pastedown of vol. I, and title-page of vol. II institutionally rubber-stamped; no other such marks. Intermittent spots of light foxing. A lovely, wide-margined, archetypically “18th-century” quarto production for this quintessentially 18th-century writer.  (23770)

•  ESTC N7592; Allibone 672; Brunet, II, 1599. On Gillies, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Contemporary calf, spines with nice gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels; joints cracked or open, corners/edges rubbed, spine with tips chipped and leather cracked. Ex–social club library: old shelving labels at spine heads extending onto sides, 19th-century bookplates, call numbers on endpapers, title-pages pressure-stamped. Vols. I and III with front free endpaper lacking; vol. I map with short tear along one fold and slightly longer tear from inner margin, extending into image. Intermittent light spotting; a few leaves age-toned. Vol. II with a few small, early ink blotches. All volumes with typical offsetting to early and late leaves from binding's turn-ins. Indeed a set nicer to contemplate, outside and inside, than our description must suggest.  (27644)

•  Shoemaker 24712.   Contemporary speckled sheep, spines with gilt-stamped black leather title-labels, board edges cornered with gilt roll; bindings scuffed and worn overall, partially darkened, gilt mostly lost. Ex–social club library: paper shelving label at spine heads, 19th-century bookplates, call number on fly-leaves with an inked library ownership inscription joining that in vol. II, no other markings. Vol. I: front hinge (inside) tender; one leaf with tear from lower margin, extending into text without loss. A few scattered stains and smudges, pages largely clean.  (29888)

Handsomely printed, the volume begins with a fine engraved frontispiece opposite the title in black and red. Engraved head- and tailpieces appear in expected places; each page is heavily laden with printed notes.

•  Brunet 759; Schweiger, II, 328. Contemporary vellum over paste boards with blind-embossed center device on covers; that on front cover slightly loose due to a vandal’s attempt to excise it! Top of spine pulled (uncommon on a vellum-bound book); vellum soiled and binding a little sprung. Bookplate removed and glue residue visible on pastedown. The odd spot or small stain only; some light foxing and dust-soiling.

Click the interior image for an enlargement.

•  NSTC 2H412. Contemporary half vellum over marbled paper–covered sides, spines with gilt-stamped leather title-labels; sides and edges scuffed, vol. II with vellum starting to peel or lift up in several places; despite qualifications, neither unsound nor unattractive. Front pastedowns each with private collector’s 19th-century bookplate and with institutional stamp (no other markings); front pastedown of vol. I with bookseller’s ticket from B. Westermann & Co. of New York. Some faint foxing, more pronounced to endpapers; some corners dog-eared.

•  VD17 23:237169Q; Brunet, III, 347.   Recent quarter calf with sides covered in German-style brown paper speckled with black, leather edges tooled in blind, spine with gilt-stamped cream-color leather author/title and place/date labels; raised bands accented with gilt rules. Title-leaf a little dust-soiled, and text with the occasional spot or instance of a slightly irregular edge (due to paper flaws, not damage); old four-digit number inked on dedication page and no other markings. A very nice copy.  (27523)