C. Julii Caesaris que Extant (The Works of Julius Caesar)

Edition : First Edition, Contemporary full brown calf with blind tooled decorative border on top and bottom cover. Spine of raised bands in eight heavily gilt compartments with black label with gilt text on 2. Gilt dentelles on all edges of top and bottom cover. Pasted and free marbled endpapers. All edges speckled. , Text is in Latin. Samuel Clarke's Caesar is generally regarded as one of the finest examples of 18th-century English publishing: "The most sumptuous classical work which this country has produced" (Dibdin). Edward Harwood views on the book were also highly praiseworthy: "Although his Caesar achieved elegance mainly through profuse ornament, the typography, nonetheless, has qualities of stateliness and dignity which set the book far above the usual product of the time and place.? During his lifetime, Caesar was regarded as one of the best orators and prose authors in Latin ? even Cicero spoke highly of Caesar's rhetoric and style. Only Caesar's war commentaries have survived. A few sentences from other works are quoted by other authors. , Size : Large Folio (475x300mm). , Illustrated with an engraved title page, frontis portrait of John Duke of Marlborough and of Julius Caesar, 6 maps (one hand-coloured in outline), 78 plates and plans, 55 of them double-page and/or folding, by Huyberts and others (all numbered from 1 to 87); numerous engraved initials and vignettes to text. The double page plate of the Bison is in this copy. , References : Brunet I, 1456; Dibdin, Greek and Latin Classics, I, 361-3; Huntington Library, Great Books in Great Editions, 15., P. Endpapers. Blank. Engraved title page. Title page. Frontis portrait of Marlborough. Authors note. Frontis portrait of Caesar. Lectori. Fold out map. Fold out map. Title page. 3-560. Blank. Endpapers. A handsome example of this magnificent work.