Ductor Historicus: or, A Short System of Universal History, and An Introduction to the Study of it [2 volumes] [provenance: George Baillie (1664-1738), Lord Commissioner of the Treasury]

2 volumes: [18], 494, [10] p., engraved frontispiece; [16], 405, [15] p., engraved frontispiece; 20 cm. Contemporary blind-tooled and speckled Cambridge-style binding with six spine compartments between raised bands. Leather label in second compartment of each volume with gilt-tooled title. Gilt-tooled decoration on other compartments. Green ribbon book markers. The frontispieces state: "London Printed for Tim: Childe." Vol. 1 title page states: "The Second Edition, very much Augmented and Improv'd." Vol. 2 imprint includes: "Oxford, Printed by Leon. Lichfield, for Timothy Childe . . . 1704." Includes indices. Armorial bookplate on front fixed endpaper of each volume of "The Honbl. George Baillie Esqr. one of the Lords of the Treasury," engraved by A. Johnston. George Baillie (1664-1738) was a member of the Parliament of Scotland from 1691 to 1707 and supported union with England; he sat in the British House of Commons from 1708 to 1734. He served as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from 1717 to 1725. In Very Good Condition: vol. 1 spine has modern repair with Japanese tissue; vol. 2 has residue from old repair along gutter on title page, with modern Japanese tissue repair above that; some pages are lightly tanned; otherwise, clean and tight.…