•  Wing (rev.) M9; ESTC R202839.   Recent half calf with marbled paper sides. Text followed by 13 blank leaves belonging to a later previous binding, with some foxing only, including to title-page; nothing worse.  (16976)

Only three U.S. institutions (and two British) report holdings of this uncommon item. This copy bears an inked inscription in the upper margin reading “With the Author’s Comps.”

•  NSTC 2M7062; not in Goldsmiths’-Kress. Recent moiré cloth–covered boards. Title-page with small inked numerals in outer margin; presentation inscription as described above partially trimmed in upper margin. Shouldernotes trimmed closely, in some instances with loss of a few etters. Pages clean.

Click the image for an enlargement.

•  NSTC 2M9198.   Uncut, unopened. Folded as issued. Two long tears into text on two different leaves, repaired with archival tissue. Good+ copy.  (17506)

The present example is anuncut copy, in the publisher's original paper-covered boards.

•  NSTC 2M10897. On Malcolm, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Publisher's light blue paper–covered sides, rebacked with tan paper preserving original printed paper labels; edges and labels rubbed, sides with areas of staining, back upper outer corner of vol. I dented and chipped. Hinges (inside) reinforced. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplates, inked call number on endpapers, pressure-stamp on title-pages, no other markings. Vol. I: one signature separated, one leaf creased. Pages clean. A solid, pleasing copy in the original boards.  (28577)

•  ESTC R20941; Wing (rev.) M514. On the Popish Plot, see: New Catholic Encyclopedia, X, 590–94; and the article on Titus Oates in The Dictionary of National Biography, XLI, 296–303. Removed from a nonce volume with remnants of previous binding at “spine” and two fly-leaves from the volume remaining attached also, on the second of which is a list of contents in ink. The leaves of this piece are numbered in ink consecutively on the upper outer corners of the versos. Some staining, foxing, or soiling, and a few shallow tears, with no loss of print. All edges speckled red. (4907)

There were two editions printed: This, with the pagination as above and with the title-page sporting a double-rule around the text area, and another with only 32 pp. and no border on the title-page. Precedence apparently not established.

•  Alden & Landis, European Americana, 711/177; Goldsmiths’ 4837; Kress 2743; ESTC 46891. Not in Sabin. Uncut, some chipping of edges. Recent, slate-grey light boards. Some cockling and staining. Six-digit number stamped on half-title. A good+ copy. (6289)

Limited to 626 copies, 26 being specially bound and signed. This is copy 46 of the 600 copies bound in quarter morocco.

•  Publisher's quarter reddish-brown morocco with green paper sides, top edges gilt. Housed in the publisher's open-back slipcase, small part of one lower seam starting to crack; else fine. Books, lovely.  (30550)

adds a preliminary volume of background information on England's politics and economy during the 15 years prior to the start of the main history

•  NSTC 2M17389.   Publisher's textured brown cloth, spines with gilt-stamped title; vols. III and IV with spine heads chipped. Ex–social club library: paper shelving label on each spine head, call number on endpapers, title-pages and a few others rubber-stamped, no other markings. Light waterstaining to upper and lower inner portions of vols. I and II, upper only of vol. III; pages otherwise clean save for very faint age-toning. Paper a bit embrittled, with occasional short edge tears or corner chips, but the set quite suitable for use with reasonable care.  (28336)

•  Wing (rev. ed.) M1784; ESTC R23540. In later wrappers. A very nice copy. (21024)

•  Publisher's purple cloth, stamped in gilt on the spine; boards lightly soiled, corners bumped; spine sunned, pulled at head and foot, cloth of spine with a couple of very tiny tears and black spots. Front pastedown with bookplate. Small piece cut from bottom blank areas of four leaves of preliminaries, blank leaf at front torn out. Several pages with stains in margins. Very good. (14498)

For more of IRISH interest,  click here.

This is the third edition, following the first of 1817; the set is in the publisher's original bindings, and an uncut copy. Vol. I opens with an oversized, folding, hand-colored “Map of Hindoostan” done by Aaron Arrowsmith, while vol. II opens with an oversized, folding map of Persia, Afghanistan, etc.

•  NSTC 2M27509.   Publisher's dark red cloth, spines sunned to not-red with printed paper labels (chipped); cloth worn and wrinkling, some joints splitting, three spine heads reinforced. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplates, call number on endpapers, pressure-stamp on title-pages, no other markings. Vol. I map with short tear along one fold and with tear from inner margin, repaired some time ago; vol. II map waterstained, with tear from inner margin. Vols. I and II with light to moderate waterstaining to lower portions, most pronounced at endpapers; vol. II map stained; vols. III and IV with endpapers stained; vol. IV with upper and lower margins of one internal signature and last few leaves stained; vol. VI with upper edges of portion towards back stained. A few instances of scattered spotting; three leaves with short edge tears; first few leaves of vol. VI creased. Page edges untrimmed. Definitely a “used” set, but not one so “distressed” as recital of faults may imply; overall, internally mostly clean and certainly sound for use.  (28162)

•  ESTC N45792; Sabin 50020; Howes M-727. Quarter blue morocco and blue cloth period-style, spine with gilt-stamped title within gilt-ruled raised bands and with gilt-stamped fleurons at head and foot. Title-page and several others stamped by a now-defunct institution; lacking final blank. Light waterstaining to lower outer margins of pages in latter half of book. A few pages with pencilled marginalia, in some instances offset onto opposing pages.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 10615; Sabin 34815; Sowerby 3353. Stitched in original blue-green paper wrappers with spine paper entirely gone and front wrapper reinforced; front wrapper with stamps and pencilled notation. Variable foxing, some staining and soiling also. Ex-Franklin Institute with a few stamps (including to title-page). Uncut copy.

Rare.  We traceno U.S. copies of this work via NUC Pre-1956, OCLC, or RLIN.

•  NSTC 2N3196. Removed from a nonce volume. Light soiling. Some shallow tears. Inked numeral on title-page.

Provenance & Evidence of Readership: Front pastedown with bookplate of collector Proinnsías Ó Bríain (i.e., Francis Massey O'Brien, Irish-American bibliophile and bookseller); front fly-leaf with pencilled inscription of N.A. Murphy and with older, partially effaced inked inscription (similar inked inscription on title-page, now all but absent). Endpapers with O'Brien's pencilled annotations (including his statement that this copy once belonged to U.S. Congressman Dan McGillicuddy); purchase place noted on both front free endpaper and back fly-leaf. Occasional other pencilled annotations and marks of emphasis from O'Brien's hand, almost entirely confined to early and late portions.

•  ESTC T56380. On O'Halloran, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Contemporary calf, covers framed in gilt fillet and blind roll, spine with gilt-stamped title and gilt-decorated raised bands; a bit rubbed and scuffed, front joint predictably starting from the weight of the volume. Endpapers and fly-leaves with annotations and inscriptions as above; back pastedown with affixed biography of O'Halloran. Several sorts and degrees of waterstaining variously in (not all) upper portions, affecting title-page and engraved armorial vignette at head of dedication; otherwise, only scattered spotting/staining and mild to moderate age-toning. One leaf torn from upper margin, extending into text without loss; a few lower corners bumped; lock of hair laid in. Not a pristine but a good usable copy of a relatively uncommon item, with pleasingly appropriate associations.  (30548)