Chronicles, English).

A complete set of all the English Chronicles, as listed below.

      - London: various publishers, 1724Ð1815. 28 vols., large 4to, 24 vols. in full olive morocco, gilt-panelled backstrips, raised bands, red labels, gilt edges, 4 vols. in full red morocco to match. A very fine set, with all the de luxe illuminated plates not found in most copies, of great rarity thus. See Lowndes II, 1086-87: the Quarto Series of Chronicles, published by the London trade, mostly from the old folios, under the editorial superintendence of Sir Henry Ellis, E.V. Utterson, R.H. Evans, F. Douce, [T.F.] Dibdin, and others. Lowndes continues that the series was completed in 15 vols. of Chronicles, and 2 of Fuller's Worthies, making in all 17 vols. To these many more volumes are sometimes added, to make a long series of Chronicles the Froissart and Monstrelet, by Col. Johnes, sometimes occur with illuminated plates and in this state are scarce and expensive, but are necessary in a first-class set. The publisher has been in the habit of making up long sets [i.e. as this set here offered], including the illuminated plates, generally bound in 28 volumes, in olive morocco, gilt edges, for £105 or more. Thus this is the set exactly as described by Lowndes, consisting of: Holinshed (6 vols.), Hall (1 vol.), Grafton (2 vols.), Hardyng (1 vol.), Fabyan (1 vol.), William of Malmesbury (1 vol.), Fuller's Worthies (2 vols.), Arnold and Rastell together (1 vol.), Robert of Gloucester (2 vols.), Peter Langtoft (2 vols.), Joinville (1 vol.), Froissart (4 vols., illuminated), and Monstrelet (4 vols. illuminated). The olive bindings are probably Charles Lewis; the red bindings are signed by Wright. In 30 years of collecting antiquarianism I have never seen a complete set such as this. [Attributes: Signed Copy; Hard Cover]