The History of His Own Time, Compiled from the Original Manuscripts of His late Excellency Matthew Prior Esq. [PLUS] Miscellaneous Works of His late Excellency Matthew Prior Esq.; Consisting of Poems on Several Occasions: (Complete 2 volume set)

Complete two volume set. Contemporary full mottled calf leather bindings. Spines with five raised bands, morocco title labels, gilt decoration to compartments. Wear to ends of spine, with both tail bands loose. Cracking to joints, front board of 'Misc. Works' is loose but held by cords. Wear to corners. Very clean text throughout both volumes. Engraved portrait frontis to Volume I, and Prior's monument to Volume II (with a tear within the illustration). The first London printing of the first collected edition of Prior's works and autobiography (preceded by the 1739 Dublin edition). This work was issued simultaneously as a two volume set, priced at 12 shillings to the title page, and two separate volumes priced at 6 shillings each. This is a uniformly bound set of the two single volumes. In this example the two dedications have been swapped during binding. ESTC: T62166 (Volume I); N35208 (Volume II). Provenance: From the library of John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork and 5th Earl of Orrery, with his engraved bookplate to front pastedown endpaper in both volumes. Boyle was a friend of Jonathan Swift, Samuel Johnson and Alexander Pope, and published several works of his own. His father, Charles Boyle, was the envoy in Flanders in 1713 and worked with Prior during the negotiations that led to the signing of the first treaty of Utrecht. . Overall condition is Very Good Minus. Size: 5.25 x 8 inches (13 x 20 cm). Hardback. Printed pages: 8vo. vi, 472, [8]; viii, xcv, [1], iv, 380. …