The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell - 1858, 1859: Including a Journal of His Tour to the Hebrides

This is a handsome, fine-binding edition of "The Life of Samuel Johnson" - Including a Journal of His Tour to the Hebrides by James Boswell. The volumes are dated 1858 and 1859; Derby & Jackson; New York. Complete in four volumes. The volumes are three-quarter leather bound with hubbed spines, marbled covers, marbled end papers and marbled page edges on all 3 sides of the text block. "New Edition with Numerous Additions and Notes by John Wilson Crocker." Two of the volumes feature frontispiece illustrations.

Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He was a devout Anglican and a generous philanthropist. Politically, he was a committed Tory. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography describes Johnson as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is also the subject of James Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson, described by Walter Jackson Bate as "the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature."

Condition:
The set is in great condition both inside and out. Only some very minor rubbing to the marbled covers. Some light scuffing of the leather at the spine edges and corner tips. All volumes are tightly bound with no cracks and no loose pages. The text pages are in terrific condition - clean pages with no writing or tears found; a collection of 4-leaf clovers has been pressed between pages 12 and 13 of volume III, leaving some light tanning; the front end paper of volume I has a "With the compliments of..." slip of paper affixed at the center, and some pencil writing above and below; all volumes have a name written in pencil on the front end paper. Overall in great condition.