THE SPECTATOR. With Sketches of the Lives of the Authors, and Explanatory Notes by ADDISON, Joseph and Richard Steele - 1816

Edinburgh: Bell & Bradfute et al. Eight volume re-binding set, bound in contemporary tooled calf. 1816. 12mo, "The Spectator" was a daily publication issued in London from 1711 to 1712 by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. . Each "paper" or "number" was approximately 2,500 words long, and the original run of "The Spectator" consisted of 555 numbers. These were collected into seven volumes. The paper was revised, without the involment of Steele, in 1714, appearing thrice weekly for six months, and these papers when collected formed the eigth volume. (Wikipedia). Our set is complete and shows marbled endpapers and foredges. The contents of each volume are unmarked except for some inevitable, albeit light, foxing. Attractive bookplate on inside front cover of each volume of Marjorie E. Kingsmill. The spines of all volumes are quite rubbed, such that the lettering is faint. The boards of all volumes are rubbed and scuffed with the rear board of volume II having become detached (but present). The boards of two other volumes are a bit bowed. All joints are very tender and rough handling of any volume would cause the boards to detach. That being said, the stitching of the text block of all volumes is pleasingly strong and thus restoration costs would be accordingly reduced. The price is for the complete set. .