Letters His Son Earl Chesterfield, First Edition (44 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Volume 1 only. 5.75 x 4 in. *** Good. Corners, joints and spine tips rubbed; separation at top and bottom of front joint but hinges still strong; open tear to outside top corner of ffep; text tight and browned.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Edition not marked. Tow volumes in one a total of 832 pages. a Series of 320 letters covering all possible manner of issues in behavior, bearing and dress for the 18th century gentleman.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. 12 mo, Vol 1, lxxx + 416pp; Vol 2, 501 pp. inc. Index. First Edition, Red cloth Gilt top edge, un-cut fore edge, All binding edges rubbed, hinges and binding sound, and square. Gift inscription contemporary to book's publication.Also blind stamp on half title. Introduction has some ink underling, no underlining sighted in remaining text of either volume. Some letters in French , some in English. Introduction in English.

Paperback. Condition: G++. 1st Thus. Collection of British Authors Tauchnitz Edition Vol. 4524. With an appendix containing some of lord chesterfield's letters to his godson and successor, his maxims and a chronological table. Priced M 1.60 on spine. Title page dated 1918. Rear cover listing Latest Volumes in two columns is dated August 1918. Fairly clean tight copy is a bit cocked and spine has two inch external celotape repair.

Hard Cove. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Not Issued. Copyright Edition; 1st. Edn. Thus. Cloth backed boards. Size: 16 x 12 Cms.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Frontispiece, Plates (illustrator). First American Edition. Three Volumes In Slipcase, Complete With Illustrated Title Pages, Half Title364 Pp + 56 Pp Index At End. Full Calf, Morocco Spine Label, Gilt In All Compartments. Gray Endpapers. Volume Iv Only. , And Printed Title Page Dated 1776. Bookplate Of Chicago Businessman And U. S. Congressman C. B. Farwell With Fine But Unsigned Engraving, Printed By U. S. Banknote; Also With Signature Of Grace Farwell.

Leatherbound. Condition: Good. First Edition. 608, [4] p. 22 cm. From our As Is shelf. Tape-repaired leather with "window" cut out for spine label. Front hinge cracked and covers separating. Paper bright and clean.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Frontispiece, Plates (illustrator). First American Edition. Three Volumes In Slipcase, Complete With Illustrated Title Pages, Half Titles, And Printed Title Pages Dated 1813; Frontispiece In Volume I And One Plate Each In Volumes Ii And Iii. Very Scarce; A Preliminary Search Indicates Only One Institutional Copy, At Yale. Original Tree Calf, Black Morocco Spine Labels Reading 'Chesterfield's Letters". Bindings Sound But Worn With Some Fraying At Corners. Pages Clean Except For Light Even Foxing Within The Page Blocks. Early Owner's Signatures On Printed Title Pages, "George P---- (Pierson?)". Heraldic Bookplates Of John Mack, Motto "Et Domi. Et Foris Cor Vulneratum", Printed Signature Of Charles Selkirk Of Albany, Undated; The Estate Of John Mack Was Sold At Auction In 1922, And The Catalog Is Available On The Internet.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. RARE FIRST STATE. First edition, first state, with the error on line 16, p. 55, Volume I. Two folio volumes. [4], vii, [1, blank], 568; [4], 606, [1, errata], [1, blank] pp. With engraved frontispiece portrait in Volume I. Contemporary speckled calf, spines ruled in gilt in compartments with red morocco gilt lettering labels. Marbled endpapers, expert spine repairs to both volumes. Occasional faint spotting and offsetting, a very good set, often sold with the two volumes of letters by Maty which I also list. . Rothschild 596. HBS 6763.

Includes other pieces on various subjects and several letters that were not available for the first edition. 4 volumes, harbound, 8vo in half-leather on marbled boards. Spines with red title and black volume labels. Leather a little rubbed and damaged at corners. Marbled boards well rubbed in places. Peripheral pages foxed in each volume and front hinge cracking in vol. 1. One page with closed tear. Contents overall very good and spine titling clear. For non-UK mailings extra postage will apply. Includes other pieces on various subjects and several letters that were not available for the first edition. 4 volumes, harbound, 8vo in half-leather on marbled boards. Spines with red title and black volume labels. Leather a little rubbed and damaged at corners. Marbled boards well rubbed in places. Peripheral pages foxed in each volume and front hinge cracking in vol. 1. One page with closed tear. Contents overall very good and spine titling clear. Postage at 3kg rate.

Hardcover. First Edition. Both volumes of this two volume set are in near fine condition in decorated red cloth covered boards with gilt text on the spines and gilt borders on the front boards. The top edges of the text blocks are gilt and there is a red placement ribbon sewn into the heads of both spines. Both volumes are octavos measuring 9" by 6" with the cloth on the spines very slightly faded. Without dust jackets. One of only 600 copies printed for Great Britain and this copy is identified as number 192. Volume I contains 408 pages of text and illustrated with three photogravure plates. Volume II contains 435 pages of text and also illustrated with three photogravure plates. With a special introduction by H. G. Leigh who also added the topical headings to the text.

Hardback. Condition: VG-. Dust Jacket Condition: No DW. 1st Edition. FIRST IRISH EDITION. Portrait frontispiece. 553 and 612 and 4 (postscript). Fairly clean tight texts with some spotting to first and last few leaves. The texts fitted with new endpapers and rebound in full leather (? using original boards) and new spines with five raised bands and ?original burgundy title labels. A fairly presentable set.

Paperback. Condition: Fine. First Edition. Wraps. 8vo. [12]p ;, 24cms tall. Note The edition was abandoned in 1937, and the sheets were not issued until the 1970s (information from 'The Corvinus Press' by Nash and Flavell, 1994). Note Unbound leaves, leaves unopened. Note Place of publication from Cambridge University library catalogue. Note With a half-title: "A letter from the Earl of Chesterfield to Lord Harrington". Note Marathon type on J. B. Green handmade paper ; watermarked ; deckled edges. Note ECL copy: One of 30 copies. This unnumbered. Letter written in 1731 at Hague when Chesterfield was ambassador to Holland, concerns (successful) negotiations with Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Fine.Very faint tanning. Excellent condition.

Full-Leather. Condition: Good. First Edition. Two volume set in contemporary full leather binding I (280pp) and II (263pp). The title panels on the spine have been lost. The spine has some chipping at the top and bottom and a little edge cracking. The corners are bumped with some rubbing and fraying and there is surface wear to the front and rear panels. Name of a previous owner in ink to the front free endpaper of Volume II - Lady Wale of Shelford near Cambridge - with her name also written on the next blank page in both volumes. Initials and a name on the front pastedowns. Spotting to the pages at the front of the books. There is some browning to the pages with a little spotting and marking in places but the pages are otherwise generally unmarked. First printing.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. 8vo. Vol I: viii, [1] 2-575. Vol II: FFEP, blank, tp, [1] 2-608, Postscript [4]. Very good books, professionally repaired with new spines. Leather. Upper external page edges are dark-tinted, side and lower edges are red-speckled; all edges are soiled and with some foxing. Stains around edges of endpapers. The versos of both title pages have a small round stamp " Selbourne Library" along the lower margins. Pencilled notes, numbers and squiggles on front end-papers; Vol II has partial remains of a bookplate on the front paste down. A few internal smudges and stains, occasional pencil marginalia, very minimal internal foxing. Text blocks are snug due to new spines. Please use close-up options for best inspection and in support of condition descriptions. Additional photos available at your request.

Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket. First Edition. 1. Intricately embossed cloth cover with classic Greek design, gilt title on spine, tissue protected steel-engraved portrait fronticepiece by J. C. Buttre. . Small hole in spine, head of spine worn with loss, corners slightly bumped. Light foxing throughout. Former owner's elegant signature (dated 1867) on preliminary page and half-title. GOOD . 8vo 8" - 9" tall. (vii), 609 pp.

Published by Mrs. Eugenia Stanhope, from the Originals now in her Possession. 2 vols. Frontispiece portrait. 4to, old mottled calf; gilt spines with red and green gilt-lettered spine labels; neatly rebacked retaining the original spines. First edition, second state. Old expert repair to pp. 399-400 in Vol. II, affecting no printing except the pagination numbers which have been supplied in ms.; armorial bookplate on each pastedown. There is some incipient cracking to the repaired joints; minor use at corners; an attractive set.

Leather. Condition: Very Good Indeed. None (illustrator). First edition. The first edition of this supplement to Philip Dormer Stanhope's Letters. The Letters to His Son were originally published in 1774. Upon the publication a further thirty nine letters were discovered, which were then published as this supplement. With the bookplate of Matthew Bell of Bourne Manor, Canterbury, to the front pastedown. Collated, complete. These letters were written by Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield to his illegitimate son. The letters were in French, English and Latin, to this volume all letters have an English translation. The letters are seen as a handbook to worldly success in the 18th century and provide advice for how a gentleman should interpret the social codes. In a full calf binding, rebacked with the original boards preserved. Externally, very smart with some minor rubbing to extremities and a several score marks to boards. Bookplate of Matthew Bell to front pastedown. Prior owner's signature to the verso of front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are age toned as expected with the odd spot throughout. Very Good Indeed. book.

Leather. Condition: Good. First Edition, Second Issue. In two volumes; vii + 568 + 606 pages; frontispiece portrait engraving by Vitalba after the painting by Hoare; "Published by Mrs. Eugenia Stanhope, from the originals now in her possession."; Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth Earl of Chsterfield (1694-1773) British statesman, wit and letter-writer, formed intimacy with Pope, cultivated acquaintance of Henrietta Howard, mistress of Prince George, and incurred enmity of his wife Caroline, privy council, hague embssy, negotiated marriage of Prince of Orange with Anne, princess royal of England, frequented society of men of letters in Paris, acknowledged leasader of opposition in House of Lords, viceroy of Ireland, kept the country quiet by his tolerant policy and encouraged national industries, the prospectus of Johnson's "Dictionary" addressed to him, as is evidenced here in this compilation, maintained an almost daily correspondence with his son, his political insight proved by prophecy of the French Revolution. (DNB); 1st Edition Second issue, with page 55 l. 16 here corrected; previous owner name of E. & B. Fitzclarence on endpapers; bound in the original heavy leather covered boards, gilt spine decorations in compartments, six raised bands; all edges tinted red; boards detached, look to have been rebacked at one time; very chipped and worn; first few leaves loose, and still a fairly fresh and clean set; good candidate for a rebinding, or good reference copies.

Hardcover. Condition: Fair. 1st Edition. Letters Written by The Late Right Honourable Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, to His Son Philip Stanhope, Esq.; Late Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Dresden; Together with Several Other Pieces on Various Subjects, Published by Mrs. Eugenia Stanhope, from the Originals Now in Her Possession, in Two Volumes, Printed for J. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, London, 1774, full contemporary leather, frontisportrait of Stanhope in volume one, 11.5 x 9.25 , 4tos. **First Editions with half-title pages. In fair condition. Front boards of both volumes detached; rear board of Vol. I detached. Full leather boards scuffed at edges and worn/bumped at corners. Heads and tails of spines bumped & scuffed, but intact. Rear hinge of Vol. II is cracked, but board is intact. Gilt lettering and ruling normally dulled, but attractive. Edges of text-blocks marbled. Water or tea dampness staining found on top edge of frontispiece. Off-setting found on Vol. I's title page from frontispiece. Normal toning throughout text-blocks; some instances of age-staining or finger-soiling. Previous ownership signatures, in ink, found on both volumes' page 1. Bindings of text-blocks intact; boards loose. Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing. Lord Stanhope assumed his seat in the House of Lords and became the 4th Earl of Chesterfield in 1726 upon the death of his father. The new Lord Chesterfield's inclination towards oration, often seen as ineffective in the House of Commons because of its polish and lack of force, was met with appreciation in the House of Lords, and won many to his side. In 1728, under service to the new king, George II, Chesterfield was sent to the Hague as ambassador, where his gentle tact and linguistic dexterity served him well. As a reward for his diplomatic service, Chesterfield received the Order of the Garter in 1730, the position of Lord Steward, and the friendship of Robert Walpole. While a British envoy in the Hague, he helped negotiate the second Treaty of Vienna (1731), which signaled the collapse of the Anglo-French Alliance, and the beginning of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. In 1732, Madelina Elizabeth du Bouchet, a French governess, gave birth to his illegitimate son, Philip for whose advice on life Chesterfield wrote the Letters to his Son. The letters, over 400 of them are elegant in their style and instructive in the methodology. The Earl of Chesterfield is remembered to this day for his evocative and sensitive words, his fine manners and his cosmopolitan life. Upon the death of the Earl, Eugenia Stanhope, the impoverished widow of Chesterfield's illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, published the book of Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774). It is comprised of a thirty-year correspondence in more than 400 letters. Begun in 1737 and continued until the death of his son in 1768, Chesterfield wrote mostly instructive communications about geography, history, and classical literature, with later letters focusing on politics and diplomacy, and the letters themselves were written in French, English and Latin to refine his son's grasp of the languages. RAREB1774DTVA - 10/22 FORN-SHELF-0459-BB-2410-HKREV126.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 2 vols. Frontis portrait in Vol. 1, 12 x 9", 3/4 leather; marbled boards, 568pp; 606pp + Errata (for Vol. 1), covers worn, Vol. 1 missing top and bottom of spine, remainder of spine detached and in poor condition (but included), covers detached (but present); Vol. 2 spine taped, all extremities bumped and worn, pp with marginal finger soiling and spotting and toning, but still very readable. FIRST EDITION, Second Issue (with "qui auroit" on p55). SWAF.

First edition of one of the great classics of English letters. Quarto, period quarter calf over marbled boards with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, engraved portrait frontispiece. Second state of volume one, page 55 (line 16 corrected to "qui auroit"). From the library of Sir Edwyn Francis Stanhope with his bookplate to the pastedown of each volume. Sir Edwyn Francis Stanhope, 2nd Baronet (1793 -1874), was the only son of Sir Henry Edwyn Stanhope, 1st Baronet of Stanwell, a distinguished naval commander, and Margaret (Peggy), daughter of Francis Malbone Esq. of Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Stanhope served as a midshipman on the Surveillante on the coast of France in 1810, was promoted Lieutenant of the Castor, which cruised the coast of Catalonia in 1813 -1814, and was promoted Commander in 1814. In the same year he succeeded his father in the Baronetcy. He married, 20 January 1820, Mary, daughter of Major Thomas Dowell of Parker's Well in Devon. On 17 January 1826 he assumed by royal license the additional name and arms of Scudamore. His eldest son, Henry Edwyn Chandos Scudamore Stanhope, succeeded to the Earldom of Chesterfield in 1883. In very good condition. An exceptional example with noted provenance. When Lord Chesterfield's illegitimate son turned five, the Earl began to write a series of letters of advice and fatherly wisdom to him. Though never intended for publication, these letters became extremely popular after Chesterfield's death, published, somewhat scandalously, by the younger Stanhope's widow, Eugenia.

Leather. Condition: Very Good. Not Stated (illustrator). First edition. A lovely first edition, second state, of Philip Dormer Chesterfield's important instructional letters written to his son. The first edition, second state, with 'quia uroit' corrected to 'quia auroit' in Volume 1 leaf H4 line 16.Complete in two volumes.Volume I illustrated with a frontispiece.ESTC citation number T136181.Half-title is present to each volume.A selection of the letters from Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, addressed to his son Philip Stanhope, who he had with a French governess. This collection comprises of a thirty year correspondence containing more than four hundred letters, written between 1737 to 1768, when the son died.Stanhope was a notable man of letters and an acclaimed wit of his time. His letters to his son were mostly instructive, discussing geography, history, classical literature, and politics. Though Stanhope never intended these letters for publication, they have become his best known work from which his literary reputation dervies today.Edited by Eugenie Stanhope, the wife of Stanhope's illegitimate son to whom these letters are addressed. In a full rebacked calf binding. Externally, smart, with some light marks to the boards and spine, including a small ring mark to the tail of the front board of Volume II. Minor bumping to the extremities. Spine labels are lightly rubbed. Evidence of former wear and loss to the boards prior to rebacking, including loss to the tail of the front board of Volume II. Light rubbing to the spines. Front hinge of Volume I is starting a little but remains firm. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very lightly age toned, age-toning a little heavier to the first and last few pages, and clean with the occasional spot. Very small tide mark to the tail of the frontispiece. Very Good. book.

First edition. 2 volumes quarto (30 cm); Engraved frontispiece portrait in volume I. [4], vii, [1, blank], 568; [4], 606, [1, errata], [1, blank] pages. Half titles present. In contemporary polished tan calf, expertly rebacked in period style. Bookplate of Tatton Park in both volumes (the country estate of the Egerton family until 1958, when it passed to the National Trust). Preserved in custom-made cloth-covered slipcase. A handsome copy! Reference: 596. "Published by Mrs. Eugenia Stanhope, from the Originals now in her Possession." Corrected issue of the first edition of one of the most popular boos printed in 18th-century England. Complete with the portrait, half titles and errata leaf. (The misprint present in some copies on p. 55 of the first volume, "qui uroit," has here been corrected to "qui auroit.").

5 volumes. The First Edition of All Five Volumes. Presentation Copy From Mrs. Stanhope, the Publisher, with the inscription of the recipient and initials. Complete with all half-titles called for. Engraved portrait frontispiece in the first volume. 4to, very handsomely bound at the time in fine straight-grain red morocco over original gray paper covered boards, with elaborate gilt rules separating the compartments, two of which are lettered in gilt, the covers with gilt rules at the turnovers and joins. [4], vii, 568; [4], 606, [2 errata]; vii, [1], 342, [2 Errata], 293, [1], [1]; [4]. [1], [588]; [xi], 204 pp. A very handsome set of these iconic writings and including the very rare third volume of the Miscellanies, beautifully preserved with some very occasional foxing or browning RARE PRESENTATION COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF ALL FIVE VOLUMES OF THE LETTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS WORKS, INCLUDING THE VERY SCARCE AND SELDOM SEEN THIRD VOLUME OF THE MISCELLANIES, STILL IN THEIR ORIGINAL REGENCY PERIOD BINDINGS. Lord Stanhope assumed his seat in the House of Lords and became the 4th Earl of Chesterfield in 1726 upon the death of his father. The new Lord Chesterfield's inclination towards oration, often seen as ineffective in the House of Commons because of its polish and lack of force, was met with appreciation in the House of Lords, and won many to his side. In 1728, under service to the new king, George II, Chesterfield was sent to the Hague as ambassador, where his gentle tact and linguistic dexterity served him well. As a reward for his diplomatic service, Chesterfield received the Order of the Garter in 1730, the position of Lord Steward, and the friendship of Robert Walpole. While a British envoy in the Hague, he helped negotiate the second Treaty of Vienna (1731), which signaled the collapse of the Anglo-French Alliance, and the beginning of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. In 1732, Madelina Elizabeth du Bouchet, a French governess, gave birth to his illegitimate son, Philip for whose advice on life Chesterfield wrote the Letters to his Son. The letters, over 400 of them are elegant in their style and instructive in the methodology. The Earl of Chesterfield is remembered to this day for his evocative and sensitive words, his fine manners and his cosmopolitan life. Upon the death of the Earl, Eugenia Stanhope, the impoverished widow of Chesterfield's illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, published the book of Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774). It is comprised of a thirty-year correspondence in more than 400 letters. Begun in 1737 and continued until the death of his son in 1768, Chesterfield wrote mostly instructive communications about geography, history, and classical literature, with later letters focusing on politics and diplomacy, and the letters themselves were written in French, English and Latin to refine his son's grasp of the languages. As a handbook for worldly success in the 18th century, the Letters to His Son give perceptive and nuanced advice for how a gentleman should interpret the social codes that are manners: ". However frivolous a company may be, still, while you are among them, do not show them, by your inattention, that you think them so; but rather take their tone, and conform in some degree to their weakness, instead of manifesting your contempt for them. There is nothing that people bear more impatiently, or forgive less, than contempt; and an injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult. If, therefore, you would rather please than offend, rather be well than ill spoken of, rather be loved than hated; remember to have that constant attention about you which flatters every man's little vanity; and the want of which, by mortifying his pride, never fails to excite his resentment, or at least his ill will." Interestingly, Samuel Johnson respected the Earl's great literary and intellectual skills so completely that he wished him deeply involved in the project that Johnson was engaged in at the time, the preparation and publication of the Dictionary. But in 1755, the year of the Dictionary's first printing, the Earl and Johnson had a bit of a dispute over the Dictionary. Eight years previously, Johnson had sent Secretary of State Chesterfield, an outline of his Dictionary, along with a business offer for such; Chesterfield agreed and invested £10. Although Chesterfield wrote two anonymous articles for World magazine shortly before the dictionary's publication that praised both Johnson's exhaustive editorial work and the comprehensive dictionary itself, Johnson was disappointed at the lack of interest in the project from Lord Chesterfield during its compilation. Upset with what he saw as a lack of support from an avowed man of letters and patron of literature, Johnson wrote the Letter to Chesterfield, which dealt with the dynamics of the patronartist relationship. Chesterfield was not offended by the letter but instead was impressed by the language. After receiving it, he displayed it on a table for visitors to read and, according to Robert Dodsley, said "This man has great powers" and then he "pointed out the severest passages, and observed how well they were expressed". Adams told Johnson what was said, and Johnson responded, "That is not Lord Chesterfield; he is the proudest man this day". Adams responded, "No, there is one person at least as proud; I think, by your own account, you are the prouder man of the two". Johnson, finishing, said, "But mine, was defensive pride". The Miscellaneous Works, also included here, contain a great number of the many writings that the Earl penned on subjects as diverse as politics, poetry, philosophy, humanities and adds also, a profuse number of letters to friends and colleagues. A wonderful set of an iconic work, still in its original Regency period bindings.

Leather. Condition: Very Good. None (illustrator). First edition. A second edition collection of letters from the Earl of Chesterfield This collection of letters, provides a wealth of information of the lives of the upper-class in the eighteenth century. The letters are mostly instructive, detailing such subjects as geography, history, and classical literature. Later letters, written when the author had become an established minor diplomat, deal largely with political matters. In the letters epitomise the restraint of the polite 18th century society. The work contains over three hundred and ninety letters along with miscellaneous pieces on the government of the republic of the seven united provinces, maxims of the Earl of Chesterfield, a translation of Cardinal De Retz's political maxims and much more. Stanhope was a British statesman and man of letters known for his administration of Ireland, his essays and skills as an orator. In a calf binding. Externally, sound with some marks to boards and bumping to corners and head and tail of spine. Joints are starting but firm. Previous owner's bookplate to front pastedowns and ink inscriptions to front free end-papers. Internally, firmly bound with very light spotting to pages. Very Good. book.

Leather. Condition: Very Good. None (illustrator). First edition. An attractive two volume first edition of the letters of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. First edition, second state, with Vol I, P 55, L 16 reading 'qui auroit' Collated: Complete with half titles and errata slip to the rear of volume II. Frontispiece to volume I. A pleasing copy in the original binding with wide margins. Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, was a British statesman and man of letters. After Chesterfield's death Eugenia Stanhope, the widow of his illegitimate son, published this work which comprised the thirty year correspondence between Chesterfield and his son, Philip Stanhope. The letters contain discourses on language, geography, history, classical literature and politics. The letters served as a handbook on becoming a gentleman in 18th century life, and it is this work which established Chesterfield's literary reputation. The circumstances around the publication of the letters caused controversy at the time. Eugenia Stanhope sold the letters for publication after the death of her husband and his father left her unprovided for. The letters, having never been intended for publication originally, were controversial for their perceived immorality and frankness, as well as the scandal surrounding their publication. They were later reprinted several times and were incredibly popular as an insight into 18th century society. In full calf bindings with contrasting spine labels. Externally, sound with rubbing and wear to extremities. Joints cracked but still reasonably firm. Front joint a little tender to volume I. Ink signature to front free-endpaper of both volumes. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and generally clean. Occasional spotting in places, and offsetting from frontispiece to title and the reverse. Very Good. book.

Condition: Gut. Gestochenes Porträtfrontispitzin Band eins, zusammen ca. 1.400 S. Gulick 2; Rothschild 596 (EA) Hübsch gebundene Ausgabe aus dem Jahr der Erstausgabe. Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 1500 4° Lackierte Kalbslederbände der Zeit mit zwei farbigen Titelrückenschilder. (Kapitale teilweise rasiert, sonst sehr schönes Exemplar. The Fifth Edition [Year of the first Edition]. In Four Volumes.

First edition, second state, with the corrected error on line 16, p. 55, Volume I. Two quarto volumes. [4], vii, [1, blank], 568; [4], 606, [1, errata], [1, blank] pp. With engraved frontispiece portrait in Volume I. Contemporary speckled calf, spines ruled in gilt in compartments with red morocco gilt lettering labels. All edges speckled brown. Joints and ends of spine on Volume I expertly repaired, joints starting on Volume II. Armorial bookplates and a few small stains to endpapers. Occasional faint spotting and offsetting, but overall an excellent set. Rothschild 596. HBS 67638. $2,250.

First American edition. 12mo. Four volumes: (4), 204; (4) 228; (4), 261, (1); (4), 220 pp. With the half-title to each volume. Each volume bears the ownership signatures of Philemon Dickinson (three struck through) and his son Samuel Dickenson. Philemon Dickinson (1739-1809), a native of Maryland, served with distinction during the Revolutionary War as a Brigadier General of the New Jersey militia, and was later elected to the Continental Congress from Delaware and to the United States Senate from New Jersey; he was the brother of the more famous John Dickinson (1732-1808), Governor of Pennsylvania and patriot. Evans 14471. OCLC locates 13 complete copies (NYU, Syracuse, San Diego State, Yale, Library of Congress, Notre Dame, Harvard, Cleveland Public, Villanova, American Antiquarian Society, Library Company, Mt. Vernon, Gunston Hall). Good solid copy of the scarce first American edition of this classic on social etiquette, with an excellent contemporary association. Original leather boards, partly eroded at the edges, rather amateurishly rebacked, with new spine labels, new endpapers. (7142).