Gibbon, Edward | First edition of Gibbon's "masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style"

The Passion of American Collectors: Property of Barbara and Ira Lipman

Gibbon, Edward

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776 - 1788

6 volumes, 4to (270 x 222 mm). Half-titles in vols. 4, 5, 6, engraved portrait frontispiece in first volume, 3 folding maps; offset from portrait on title, a few leaves lightly browned, occasional marginal spotting heavier on a few leaves in vol. 3, marginal stains in a few pages in vol. 5. Contemporary polished tree calf, gilt-ruled borders, spines gilt, gilt-stamped morocco title labels; rebacked with original spines laid down, corners and edges torn.

First edition, one of 1,000 copies, of Gibbon's "masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style" (PMM), this is the first state of the first volume, with none of the errata corrected and with the cancels noted by Norton.

REFERENCE

Grolier English 58; Norton 20, 23-29; PMM 222; Rothschild 942