The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbon. London: Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788, 4to.
FIRST EDITION OF EDWARD GIBBON'S MAGNUM OPUS, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORY BOOKS EVER WRITTEN.
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Edward Gibbon's (1737-1794) History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is a 'masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style and has remained one of the ageless historical works which... maintain their hold upon the layman and continue to stimulate the scholar' (PMM).
Second edition of the first volume as usually found, as the first volume sold out "within a matter of days" and was released in a print run of only 500 copies. The second edition of the first volume was released the same year as the first and the vast majority of first edition sets have the second edition of the first volume for this reason. Volumes 2 and 3 are the 'new edition' of 1787 also as fairly common, and volumes 4, 5, and 6 are first editions, each being the first state, each dated 1788. Sets with each volume in the first state often sell for over £20,000, and a similar set to this, though with the first volume in its 'new edition' state, and thus a bit later than this set, is currently offered for sale by Shapero Rare Books for £6,500.
Gibbon's sweeping six-volume history covers the years 98 to 1590, and its surprisingly enduring popularity has resulted in Gibbon's Enlightenment-era nostalgia for lost civilisation and sometimes extreme biases (against Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism; the Middle Ages; the Byzantine Empire, etc.) taking hold of the public imagination into the present day.
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Size: 228 x 280 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[half title, title page, A1-A4 (preface & contents), B1-4F1 (i.e. pp.1-586), i (advertisement), a1-l4 (i.e. pp.i-lxxxviii)]; [title page, a1-a4 (contents), foldout map, B1-4M4 (i.e pp.1-640)]; [half title, title page, a1-a4 (contents), foldout map, B1-4M4 (pp.1-640)]; [title page, viii (preface), a1-a4 (contents), B1-4K2 (i.e. pp.1-620)]; [title page, a1-a4 (contents), B1-4S2] (i.e. pp.1-684)]; [title page, a1-b1 (contents), B1-4N3 (i.e pp.1-646), 4N4-4U1 (index), i (errata)]
Textually collated as complete. Errata at the rear of volume six is for volumes four, five, and six as called for. Half titles present in volumes one and three (only). Two foldout maps, the set bound without the frontispiece. Full calf leather bindings, either original or very near contemporary. All tooled morocco labels are present, very lightly chipped to vols 2&3. Some vertical cracking to the spines with a full split to the sixth volume resulting in a bisection. Some expert repairs to the head and tails of the spines and corners. The set shows very well on the shelf indeed. Light rubbing/scuffs to the boards but with the gilt borders bright and showing nicely. Bookplate to front pastedown of each volume. Final blank of the first volume torn else internally very clean and near fine/fine, mildly toned.
[PMM 222; Rothschild 942; ESTC T78359].
