James Boswell | The Life of Samuel Johnson, London, 1791, 2 vols, nineteenth-century brown morocco gilt by Riviere

James Boswell

The Life Samuel Johnson. London: printed by Henry Baldwin, 1791

FIRST EDITION, 2 volumes, 4to (271 x 211mm.), engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds in volume 1, 2 further engraved plates by H. Sheperd in volume 2 (depicting the Round Robin addressed to Johnson on the subject of Goldsmith's epitaph, and giving facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting at different ages, respectively), twentieth century brown morocco gilt by Riviere & Son, spines with raised bands in six compartments, gilt edges, marbled endpapers, some light spotting and browning at extremities, very good overall 

First edition of Boswell's masterpiece, hailed by many as the greatest biography written in English. This copy is finely bound by Riviere & Son, with all issue points called for by Pottle present in this copy. Volume 1, p. 135, line 10 has "give" spelt correctly, indicating that this is is a later issue of the first edition. In volume 2, a stub of the original cancelled leaf is present by the inner margin of the E3 cancel leaf (pp. 29-30). 

LITERATURE

Grolier, English 131; Grolier, Voices of Scotland 74; Pottle 79; Rothschild 46