Charles I.

Paris; Edinburgh; London: Goupil & Co, 1898. First edition. Hardcover. g+. Folio. [10], V, [1], 185, [3]pp. Uncut. 3/4 calf over marbled paper covered boards with gold lettering and tooling on spine and gold-stamped ruling on covers. Top edge gilt. Color frontispiece portrait of Charles I protected with a captioned tissue-guard. Title page in red and black lettering. Publisher's vignette on title. Illustrated head-, and tailpieces. Decorative initials. A first and limited edition of this lavishly illustrated work on King Charles I (1600-1649), who was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his royal prerogative, which Charles believed was divinely ordained. Charles's reign was also characterised by religious conflicts. His failure to successfully aid Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, Henrietta Maria of France, generated deep mistrust among Calvinists. Charles's last years were marked by the Civil War, in which he fought the forces of the English and Scottish parliaments. He was defeated in the First Civil War (1642-45), after which Parliament expected him to accept its demands for a constitutional monarchy. He instead remained defiant by attempting to forge an alliance with Scotland and escaping to the Isle of Wight. This provoked the Second Civil War (1648-49) and a second defeat for Charles, who was subsequently captured, tried, convicted, and executed for high treason. This work is profusely illustrated throughout with numerous tissue-guarded duo-tone engravings. Moderate rubbing along edges of binding. Previous owner's bookplate on inside of front cover (Reginald Gurney). Moderate foxing on very first and very last pages. Sporadic and minor foxing throughout. Binding in overall good+, interior in good+ to very good condition.