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***SPECTACULAR OVER 200-YEAR-OLD ANTIQUE COMPLETE 6-VOLUME SET OF THE MISCELLANEOUS WORKS OF TOBIAS SMOLLETT IN ORIGINAL OR PERIOD STRAIGHT-GRAINED MOROCCO FINE BINDING!*** PROVENANCE: FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE PROMINENT LORD NORTHWICK OF ENGLAND! OVERALL CONDITION: VERY GOOD 1820 The Miscellaneous Works of Tobias Smollett with Memoirs of His Life and Writings by Robert Anderson, the sixth edition in six volumes. Published in 1820 in Edinburgh, Scotland by Stirling & Slade. Complete in 6 volumes. Printed by Ogle, Allardice & Thomson in Edinburgh. Three engraved plates in Volume I. Volume I: The Life of Smollett and The Adventure of Roderick Random. Volume II: The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, Part One. Volume III: The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, Part Two and plays and poems. Volume IV: The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom and Expedition Against Carthagena. Volume V: The Adventure of Sir Launcelot Greaves and Travels through France and Italy. Volume VI: The Expedition of Humphry Clinker and Adventures of an Atom. The set appears to be in original binding (!) or at least period binding near date of publication as indicated by (1) wear commensurate with age; (2) use of straight-grained Morocco which was quite poplar in the late 1700s to early 1800s in England and (3) each volume has watermarked paper indicating 1820 (year of set s publication) including the verso of the brown endpaper in volume I. This is important as endpapers are often refreshed when a rebinding occurs. Octavo, 8.5 x 5.5. Fine full straight-grained red morocco with elaborate blind-stamping and intricate tooled gilding decoration to triple-paneled covers and spine compartments. Gilded four-ribbed spine. Gilded head, foot and fore-edge of boards, and gilded dentelles bordering the brown endpaper paste-downs. All edges gilt. Brown endpapers. Remnants of silk ribbon placeholders in a few volumes but mostly removed. A very fine and expensive period/original (?) binding for the early 19th century! The best I see anywhere on the market for this set. ABOUT SMOLLETT Tobias George Smollett (baptised 19 March 1721 17 September 1771) was a Scottish novelist, surgeon, critic and playwright. He was best known for picaresque novels such as The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751) and The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1771), which influenced later novelists, including Charles Dickens. Smollett s reputation as one of the finest mid-18th century English writers was cemented with his major and widely-praised work, A Complete History of England (1757 1765). George Orwell praised him as "Scotland's best novelist". PROVENANCE: LORD NORTHWICK OF ENGLAND John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick (16 February 1770 20 January 1859) was an English peer, landowner and collector of art works. In 1790 he visited Italy and while touring the continent became friends with many eminent men including Edward Gibbon, Horatio Nelson, Sir William Hamilton (diplomat) and his wife Emma Hamilton, Richard Payne Knight, and the Italian artists Antonio Canova, and Vincenzo Camuccini. While he was living at the Bay of Palermo HMS Vanguard was stranded there, and as a result he was the first man in Europe to receive the news of the victory of the Battle of the Nile, hearing it from Admiral Nelson himself. He returned from Italy in 1800 when, on the death of his father, he succeeded to the titles of 6th Baronet Rushout, of Milnst and 2nd Baron Northwick. He became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (F.S.A.) in 1800. CONDITION DESCRIPTION: VERY GOOD All 6 volumes are in VERY GOOD or better antiquarian condition for being over 200-years-old. Strongly bound with square spines, firm hinges and joints and tight pages. The spines are sun-toned. The leather boards show light scratches and areas of soiling (particularly within the blind-stamped sections, which is typical). Light rubbing and shelf wear to extremities. Sporadic foxing which is heaviest toward th. N° de ref. del artículo 240129004
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