The Pastorals of Virgil,: With courses of English Reading, adapted for schools... [Edited] by Robert John Thornton

BLAKE (William)

The Pastorals of Virgil, With a course of English Reading, adapted for Schools ... enabling youth to acquire the Latin Language in the shortest period of time. [Edited] by Robert John Thornton.

London: F C & J Rivington, 1821.

Two volumes, illustrated with engraved frontispieces + 230 illustrations: of which William Blake has contributed 17 original woodblock designs for the First Eclogue + six copperplates of Classical poets and philosophers, all of which he also engraved, and with four additional Blake designs engraved by other hands. These are WILLIAM BLAKE's only woodcut designs and have remained amongst the most influential woodcuts in the historical development of British art. Their influence can be seen in the prints of Edward Calvert and Samuel Palmer. The original blocks survive and are preserved in the British Library (London), last restruck in 1977 by Iain Bain.

8vo., xii (-vii/viii), 12, xxiv (-i/iv) 214 pp., [i] (215-)592 pp. + plates, erratic preliminaries nonetheless complete as matching collations in both Keynes and Easson/Essick; matching contemporary sheep leather, possibly as published.

Third edition, first thus

Provenance: George R. Gardner, pasted bookplate inside covers