GIBBON, Edward.

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. [with] The Miscellaneous Works of... with Memoirs of his Life and Writings... with occasional notes and narrative by... John, Lord Sheffield.

London: [I] Lackington, Allen and Co. [et al]; [II] Printed for John Murray, 1815, 1814. Seventeen volumes, 8vo, "Decline and Fall..." 12 volumes with a portrait frontispiece and 2 folding maps, "Miscellaneous Works" second edition, 5 volumes with a portrait frontispiece, 4 plates and a folding genealogy. Some occasional light foxing, particularly to the maps, marbled endpapers and edges, bookplates of Baron Dimsdale. Uniformly bound in contemporary calf, corners with some wear, neatly rebacked, "Decline and Fall" retaining the original green morocco labels, "Miscellaneous Works" with new labels. "This masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style has remained one of the ageless historical works... Gibbon brought a width of vision and a critical mastery of the available sources which have not been equalled to this day..." (Printing and the Mind of Man 222). Norton p.115 & no. 134. Item #31741

Price: £750.00