THE FAERIE QUEENE. With an exact collation of the Two Original Editions, Published by Himself at London in Quarto; the Former containing the first Three Books printed in 1590, and the Latter the Six Books in 1596. To which are now added, A new Life of the Author, and also a Glossary. Adorn'd with thirty-two Copper Plates, from the Original Drawings of the late W. Kent, Esq; Architect and Principal Painter to His Majesty by SPENSER. EDMUND.; KENT. WILLIAM. Illustrates

Chatto & Windus. London. 1891. FIRST EDITION. 3 Volumes. 8vo. (7.5 x 5 inches). Inscribed by the author on the half-title of volume I, "A. P. Watt with the Author's kindest wishes. 6th June 1891". 12 mono full page plates by Green, each with a tissue guard. Original dark green cloth blocked with elaborate blind decoration, spines lettered in gilt, floral patterned endpapers. Cloth very slightly rubbed at extremities and a few thin white streaks to the front board of volume one and some light foxing to the decorative endpapers, otherwise clean, tight and bright throughout. Overall a better than very good set. Alexander Pollock Watt (1838–1914) was the first successful British literary agent. His agency, started in 1875, is still active today and is, in fact, the longest-established literary agency in the world. He acted as Besant's agent, and also his literary executor.

John Murray. London. 1927. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.4 x 5 inches). A fine clean copy throughout. Finely bound, by Zaehnsdorf for Asprey and Co, in recent full black morocco. Spine with five raised bands, each with gilt wavy lines. Compartments ruled and lettered in gilt. Boards with gilt ruled border. Board edges with single gilt ruled lines. Turn-ins with elaborate floral gilt decoration. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. A highly attractive leather binding.

Cassell & Co. ltd. London. 1948-54. FIRST EDITION. First impression. Six volumes. 8vo. Illustrated throughout with maps and plans, many folding. A bright, clean set, which has been finely bound in recent full dark blue morocco leather. The spines with raised bands, twin red labels, gilt. Spine compartments ruled and decorated with gilt stamped rampant lion device. Single gilt ruled border on boards. All edges gilt. A fine set of Churchill's monumental history.

Richard Bentley. London. 1847. Bentley's Standard Novels and Romances, volume 25. Reprint of the 1833 edition. 8vo. (7 x 4.5 inches). Illustrated frontis engraving by Pickering. Publishers dark brown morocco grained cloth with elaborate blind stamped decorative border to the boards. Spine lettered and decorated in gilt. Yellow endpapers with lists of other titles published by Bentley. Neat previous owner bookplate to the top of the front paste down endpaper. Some staining to the bottom of the frontispiece, not affecting the image or type, otherwise a very clean and fresh copy. The cloth is clean and tidy, with sharp corners, and the gilt on the spine still bright and fresh. A little rubbing to the extremities but this is a superior copy. Scarce in such nice condition.

Printed by W. Nicol, late Bulmer & Co. London. 1822. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (9.3 x 6.1 inches). Illustrated title, 56pp, 7 full page engravings, each with a plain tissue guard. Aside from some light spotting to the tissue guards this is a bright and clean copy throughout. Finely bound in nineteenth century full burgundy morocco. Spine with four wide raised bands, each with gilt box ruling. Compartments triple ruled and lettered in gilt. Boards with five ruled line gilt borders. Board edges and turn-ins with gilt decorative roll. All edges gilt. Yellow coated endpapers. Some minor wear to the edges of the binding but overall a very good and attractive copy of this rare work, both inside and out. Contains a lithographed title page illustrating both sides of the medal of the Outinian Societ and seven full page plates; portrait frontispiece of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania; Lady Juliana Penn; Vice-Admiral Sir William Penn; Thomas Penn; a memorial urn dedicated to the memory of Lady Juliana; the… Read More

J and R. Tonson. London. 1761. NEW EDITION. Three 4to volumes. (11.9 x 9.6 inches). Vol.1. lxxix, xxii,491pp; - Vol.2. 460pp, 116pp indexes; - Vol.3. 690pp, iipp index. (2 of the last 2 leaves, 4T & 4Ti have been bound in. One in the correct place at the end of the text and again, randomly, in the middle of one of the Poems on several occasions). Illustrated with 20 full page copper engraved plates, including 3 portraits as the frontispiece for each volume, plus 17 fine illustrations by Francis Hayman, each with some offsetting to the page opposite. Neat contemporary previous owners names to the top of the title pages and rear of frontispieces. Some minor foxing to the margins of a few pages, and darker offsetting to 2 leaves where a previous owner had inserted a fern leaf, otherwise a very good set which has been finely bound in recent full speckled brown calf. Spines with raised bands, the compartments double ruled in gilt. Red labels, gilt. Double ruled blind border on boards. An attractive… Read More

Day and Son. Lithographers to the Queen. London. Published April 2nd 1860. 1860. FIRST EDITION. 4to. (11.6 x 8.1 inches). Illustrated with a total of 102 fine full page Chromolithograhic plates; Half title, title page, 99 numbered plates - each with a tissue paper guard, and the colophon leaf. 104 pp of text, printed in black within decorative red borders. A fine copy in a beautiful designer binding by The Ashley Bindery, of Somerset. Stamped to the rear inner board- 19 AB 81. Full black morocco with multi colour design of two boxed lines in brown morocco across both boards and the spine, with tan, green and red design within each box. The spine is also lettered in gilt. Wood effect endpapers. All edges gilt. Housed in a felt lines chemise with the same wood effect paper on the boards and a black morocco spine, lettered in gilt and with one of the red designs onlaid between the title and authors. This then fits into a felt lined slip case covered with the wood effect paper. A fine and beautiful… Read More

R. Ackermann. London. 1813 (Circa 1870?). PORTFOLIO OF 13 PLATES. No text, as issued. (Paper size 14.9 x 11.3 inches. The portfolio is 15.5 x 12 inches). Portrait of Blake, by T. Phillips, RA; Engraved title page (dated 1808) and 11 plates, all stating Ackermann as publisher, dated 1813 and engraved by Louis Schiavonetti, after Blake's designs. The pages have a little bumping to the edges but well away form the engraved area. Plates a little dusty and toned but the impressions are good. The original portfolio is brown Morocco grained cloth with elaborate blind tooled designs to both boards. Gilt lettering to the front board. Only one small piece of one silk tie remaining. Yellow coated endpapers. 3 small clippings from bookseller catalogues, each listing copies of the Blair/Blake book, tipped in to the front pastedown endpaper. Some minor rubbing and bumping to the cloth but the gilt is still very bright and the cloth clean. Overall a very good example of this rare edition. ----- "When Gilchrist's… Read More

Fred De Fau & Company. New York. 1902. LIMITED EDITION. One of 1,000 numbered sets, this number 942. 10 volumes. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.5 inches). Finely bound by Brentanos in contemporary half tan morocco. Each spine with five raised bands, decorated with gilt piping. Compartments multi ruled and lettered in gilt and with blind tooled centre decorations. Marbled paper on boards. Gold on grey marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt, the others untrimmed and a few gatherings still unopened. Illustrated with decorative head and tail pieces, vignettes in the text and multiple full page black and white illustrations by F. S. Coburn throughout. Each frontis plate protected with a printed descriptive tissue guards. Title pages printed in red and black. Pages nice and clean throughout. There is some minor bumping and rubbing to the corners of the bindings and a couple of small scratches to the lower board of volume 9 but overall this is a near fine, handsome set in excellent condition that looks wonderful on the shelf.

Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. London. 1811. FIRST SCOTT EDITION. Six volumes. 8vo. (7.4 x 4.8 inches). Illustrated with six full page copper engraved frontipieces, after paintings by Robert Smirke, which were originally published in Edward Forster's translation of this work in 1802. The plates were specially re-engraved by J. Fittler, C. Warren, A. Raimbach (x2), A. Smith, and R. Golding for this new translation. Some foxing to the frontispiece illustrations and, very much lighter, to just the first couple of leaves of each volume otherwise a clean, bright set in fine early nineteenth century leather bindings of full burgundy straight grained Morocco. Spines with raised bands, each with gilt piping. Compartments ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt. Boards with triple ruled and elaborate decorative borders. Gilt floral roll on the turn-ins. Board edges with decorative gilt tooling to the corners. Plain brown endpapers. All edges gilt. Red silk page markers still present in each volume.… Read More