The Life of Erasmus. London, Printed for J. Whiston and B. White, MDCCLVIII-MDCCLX (1758-1760).
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FIRST EDITION, complete with the very rarely encountered second volume which was printed two years after the first. A fantastic biography with excellent wide-margined typography of the famous humanist scholar and first editor of the New Testament.
This biography was written by John Jortin. "Jortin was in many ways a late representative of Christian humanism, as well as an active citizen in the protestant republic of letters" (DNB). Alongside this biography of Erasmus, he also wrote one of the most important Ecclesiastical histories of the 18th century.
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Size: 216 x 265 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(2), frontis, t.p., iii-vi, 1ff. (contents), pp.1-630, plate, 1ff., (1)]; [(2), t.p., 1ff., pp.1-750, 2 plates, pp.751-752, 2 plates, pp.753-754, (2)]
Contemporary half calf over marbled boards in typical English bindings of the period. Spines rubbed with some losses at extremities retaining tooled red morocco labels. compartments lined in gilt separated by raised bands. Joints rubbed and cracked but with all boards attached, mostly secure. Generally very clean through the text blocks with lovely wide margin typography. Bound with the advertisements and specimens of Erasmus' handwritings. Final two leaves in the second volume stuck together but probably could be separated without too much issue. Frontispice in the first volume folded, probably as published as it's printed larger than the text block, this is offset to the title page where one can see the border outline. There is some very minor occasional foxing. The specimens of Erasmus' handwriting are more toned than the majority of the text block. No attached bookplates or ownership inscriptions. The first volume has a bit of a shelf lean but is supported by the second volume when on the shelf.
[ESTC T146995; MMSID 9922388183804341; OCLC 716627841, 809600209].
