Select Pieces By Benj. Franklin Bound With Poetical Works Of John Cunningham by [edited and Assembled by] Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 - 1796

London: George Nicholson, Et Al. Very Good with no dust jacket. 1796. Presumed 1st. Hardcover. AMERICANA; Benjamin Franklin; We fit archival quality clear acrylic covers for additional protection whenever possible. ; Engravings; 16mo 6" - 7" tall; 59, 27, 24, 12, 4, 4, 4, 80 pages; 3/4 red calf over marbled boards, marbled end papers, some foxing to title page, lightly rubbed extremities. Else clean throughout. Provenance H Austin DeVies[? ], contemporarily signed. Illustrated by various textural cuts [4] and engraved title pages [4]. Includes PRELIMINARY ADDRESS TO POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC, various MORAL TALES, etc. Also bound in POETICAL WORKS OF JOHN CUNNINGHAM, C Cooke, no date but contemporary, with full page engraved frontis [1]. Benjamin Franklin is generally considered one of America's most versatile and talented statesmen, scientists, and philosophers. His achievements include publisher of Poor Richard's Almanac and many articles on political, economic, religious, philosophical and scientific subjects. He was the inventor of bifocals, the Franklin stove, lightning rod, he was one of the signers of the 'Declaration of Independence', and the founder of, what is now the University of Pennsylvania. Scarce, no copies found OCLC. 1804 copy found in Library of Congress. Probably this was published in about 1796 along with the bound in short tales although some believe the first edition was 1801 while Hathi Trust dates it at 1801. Other bibliographical authorities simply resolve the issue by not recognizing it's existence. Bound with "Moral Tales" Cunningham, Alcander and Septimus" Goldsmith, "Grateful Turk" Day, "Horse" Percival, and Phyllis and Demaris" Talbot. Published 1796, Nicholson and Co. .