Bishop Burnet's History of His Own Time. [Vol 1] From the Restoration of King Charles II to the Settlement of King William and Queen Mary at the Revolution: To which is prefix'd A Summary Recapitulation of Affairs in Church and State from King James I to the Restoration in the Year 1660. [Vol 2] From the Revolution to the Conclusion of the Treaty of Peace at Utrecht, in the Reign of Queen Anne. To which is added, the Author's Life by the Editor. London. Printed for Thomas Ward and the Editor, by Joseph Downing and Henry Woodfall in 1724-34.
FIRST EDITION OF BURNET'S FAMOUS CLASSIC AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORICAL WORKS ON 17TH CENTURY ENGLAND, WITH BURNET BEING CALLED "A PIONEER IN THE SCIENTIFIC TREATMENT OF HISTORY".
[Kunitz & Haycraft, 70]
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A fantastic example of the first edition of Burnet's History of His Own Time which went through a significant number of subsequent editions which continue to this day. A lavishly produced set in folio format printed over a ten year timespan.
Though the work was severely criticised by Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson, with the Earl of Aylesbury calling Burnet a "lying knave" and his description of him "false as all hell", Burnet's history retains a great reputation, with Burnet being called "one of the most veracious chronicles in the [English] language" (Allibone, 297). The same source suggests that Burnet's account of the revolution of 1688 and the accession of William and Mary "was perhaps greater than that of any other person", which is high praise indeed given the competition there includes David Hume.
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Size: 230 x 346 x 68 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[8ff, 836pp]; [11ff, 760pp (1-360, 357-760)]
Modern quarter morocco folios with tooled red morocco labels to the spine with a stamped design between each raised band. Externally near fine/fine with some minor shelf wear. Both boards are securely attached and are additionally reinforced at the hinges. The title page in the second volume is provided in facsimile as is the title page and the next 3ff in the first volume (the advertisement leaf, and 2ff of the subscriber's list). Bibliographically follows the first edition with the extra gathering in the second volume signed YYYY in square brackets and paginated 357-360 in square brackets with the verso of pp.357 being numbered 360. Very clean through both text blocks and essentially without fault. Lacks the final 5pp of the index of the second volume (and the leaves provided in facsimile) else collates as complete.
[ESTC T144689; OCLC 863504080].
