The Memoirs of John Evelyn, Comprising His Diary from 1641 to 1705-6, and a Selection of His Familiar Letters. To Which is Subjoined, The Private Correspondence Between King Charles I. and Sir Edward Nicholas; Also Between Sir Edward Hyde, Afterwards Earl of Clarendon, and Sir Richard Browne, Ambassador to the Court of France, in the Time of King Charles I. and the Usurpation. Edited from the Original MSS. by William Bray. London: Henry Colburn, 1827, 8vo.
JOHN EVELYN'S FAMOUS MEMOIRS, BEAUTIFULLY BOUND IN FULL TREE CALF BY THE RENOWNED BINDERY MANSELL IN NOTABLY EXCELLENT CONDITION.
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John Evelyn FRS (1620 – 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society.
John Evelyn's diary, or memoir, spanned the period of his adult life from 1640, when he was a student, to 1706, the year he died. He did not write daily at all times. The many volumes provide insight into life and events at a time before regular magazines or newspapers were published, making diaries of greater interest to modern historians than such works might have been at later periods. Evelyn's work covers art, culture and politics, including the execution of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell's rise and eventual natural death, the last Great Plague of London, and the Great Fire of London in 1666.
John Evelyn's Diary was first published posthumously in 1818, but over the years was overshadowed by that of Samuel Pepys. Pepys wrote a different kind of diary, in the same era but covering a much shorter period, 1660–1669, and in much greater depth.
"Evelyn has now come to be recognised as a scholar and participant in the reception of the new science of the 17th century. Over a period of more than half a century his voluminous correspondence reflected and extended the social and scientific interchange of his time" - ODNB.
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Size: 148 x 228 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[xl, pp.[1]-394]; [pp.[1]-464]; [pp.[1]-441]; [pp.[1]-552]; [pp.[1]-399].
Uniform full tree calf bindings (also known as marbled calf), finely bound by Mansell (the successor to Hayday bindery) with their binder stamp to the head of ffeps. A beautiful set showing very attractively indeed on the shelf with bright spines with intricate bright gilt and sumptuous tooled morocco labels to each spine between raised bands with a further tooled red morocco label at the foot of each spine with a date, the gilt date lacking to the first volume. Small loss to the tooled title label of the fifth volume. Joints all fine with all boards securely attached with the bindings secure and without any shelf lean. Light shelf wear. Many boards in fine condition, some with a scratch or two, and the rear board of the fifth volume with two dark marks at the foot and a bit of loss, though this is not particularly aesthetically intrusive. Top edges gilt, all very good or better. Occasional minor loss to turn-ins but generally near fine. No attached bookplates or ownership inscriptions. Generally very clean and bright through the text blocks with a few small marks affecting some endpapers as typical. Collated as complete through each volume including the two indexes to the rear of volumes four and five as called for and the various foldouts.
A very attractive very good to near fine set.
[OCLC 228969691].
