GIBBON, Edward (1737-1794). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: For W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788.
GIBBON, Edward (1737-1794). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: For W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788. 6 volumes, 4 o (284 x 225 mm). Half-titles in each volume. Vol. I: engraved frontispiece portrait of Gibbon after Joshua Reynolds mounted within a manuscript border (one of the first impressions with dated), errata leaf at end, second issue, Vol. II: errata leaf at end; full-sheet folding map of the Eastern Roman Empire by Thomas Kitchen inserted before page 1, dated 1 January 1781, half-sheet folding map of Constantinople and environs inserted after page 22 (light offsetting), G1 and Ll1 are cancels. Vol. III: errata leaf at end, full-sheet map of the Western Roman Empire by Thomas Kitchen inserted before page 1, p.177 correctly numbered and p.179, line 18 reading "Honorious." Vol. IV: H3 and L2 are cancels. Vol. VI: errata for volumes IV-VI on 4Uv. Contemporary diced calf (rebacked); slipcases. Provenance : Richard Bull (1721-1805) of Ongar Essex a Merchant in the Turish trade (presentation inscription; armorial bookplate). FIRST EDITION of all volumes, second issue of volume I. PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED beneath Gibbon's portrait: "one of the first impressions, with Mr. Gibbon's compts. to Mr. Bull." Decline and Fall ranks as a "masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style" and despite the numerous later works devoted to this voluminous subject remains "the only historical narrative prior to Macaulay which continues to be reprinted and actually read" ( PMM ). Gibbon was fortunate in the choice of his publisher, William Strahan, the friend of Dr. Johnson, Benjamin Franklin and David Hume, who with Cadell also published Adam Smith and James Macpherson. During the publication of the first edition, Strahan predicted the popularity of the work and doubled the printing size from 500 to 1,000 copies, entailing the resetting of sheets B-Dd (pages 1-208) and a-b (i-xvi) in volume I. This copy, one of the initial 500 printed, contains the original setting of these sheets as outlined above. Strahan's instincts proved correct, with the entire first thousand copies selling out in a fortnight. "Gibbon's style is probably the most exclusive in literature. By its very nature it bars out a great multitude of human energies" (Lytton Strachey, Portraits in Miniature ). Grolier English 58; Norton 20, 23, 29; PMM 222; Rothschild 942. (6)
GIBBON, Edward (1737-1794). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: For W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788.
GIBBON, Edward (1737-1794). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: For W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788. 6 volumes, 4 o (284 x 225 mm). Half-titles in each volume. Vol. I: engraved frontispiece portrait of Gibbon after Joshua Reynolds mounted within a manuscript border (one of the first impressions with dated), errata leaf at end, second issue, Vol. II: errata leaf at end; full-sheet folding map of the Eastern Roman Empire by Thomas Kitchen inserted before page 1, dated 1 January 1781, half-sheet folding map of Constantinople and environs inserted after page 22 (light offsetting), G1 and Ll1 are cancels. Vol. III: errata leaf at end, full-sheet map of the Western Roman Empire by Thomas Kitchen inserted before page 1, p.177 correctly numbered and p.179, line 18 reading "Honorious." Vol. IV: H3 and L2 are cancels. Vol. VI: errata for volumes IV-VI on 4Uv. Contemporary diced calf (rebacked); slipcases. Provenance : Richard Bull (1721-1805) of Ongar Essex a Merchant in the Turish trade (presentation inscription; armorial bookplate). FIRST EDITION of all volumes, second issue of volume I. PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED beneath Gibbon's portrait: "one of the first impressions, with Mr. Gibbon's compts. to Mr. Bull." Decline and Fall ranks as a "masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style" and despite the numerous later works devoted to this voluminous subject remains "the only historical narrative prior to Macaulay which continues to be reprinted and actually read" ( PMM ). Gibbon was fortunate in the choice of his publisher, William Strahan, the friend of Dr. Johnson, Benjamin Franklin and David Hume, who with Cadell also published Adam Smith and James Macpherson. During the publication of the first edition, Strahan predicted the popularity of the work and doubled the printing size from 500 to 1,000 copies, entailing the resetting of sheets B-Dd (pages 1-208) and a-b (i-xvi) in volume I. This copy, one of the initial 500 printed, contains the original setting of these sheets as outlined above. Strahan's instincts proved correct, with the entire first thousand copies selling out in a fortnight. "Gibbon's style is probably the most exclusive in literature. By its very nature it bars out a great multitude of human energies" (Lytton Strachey, Portraits in Miniature ). Grolier English 58; Norton 20, 23, 29; PMM 222; Rothschild 942. (6)
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
