Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) - photo 1
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) - photo 2

Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)

Starting price
£ 4 000
Auction dateClassic
09.12.2020 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 470222
Lot 202 | Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 1776-1788

GIBBON, Edward (1737-1794). The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1776-1788.



First edition of this 'masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style', which remains, despite the numerous later works devoted to this voluminous subject, 'the only historical narrative prior to Macaulay which continues to be reprinted and actually read' (PMM). During the publication of the first edition Strahan predicted the popularity of the work and doubled the print run from 500 to 1000 copies, entailing resetting of sheets. Strahan's instincts proved correct, and the entire first thousand copies sold out in a fortnight. Grolier English 58; Norton 20, 23, 29; PMM 222; Rothschild 942.



6 volumes, quarto (284 x 220mm). Half-titles, errata leaves at end of vols 1-3. Illustration: portrait frontispiece in vol. 1 engraved by Hall after Reynolds; vol. 2 with engraved folding map of the Western Empire and folding 'A Map of the Parts of Europe and Asia adjacent to Constantinople'; vol. 3 with folding map of the Eastern Empire; vol. 1 with errata uncorrected, and all volumes with the usual cancels and points (occasional light scattered spotting and browning, more heavily affecting first and last few leaves and quire 3H of vol. 2, as well as quire D in vol. 3, adhesion to c1v in vol. 1 obscuring a few words, leaves *G with old marginal repair to very short tear at gutter and U3 with tiny marginal chip in vol. 2). Contemporary polished calf, green morocco lettering pieces (rubbed with headcaps to all vols slightly defective and exposing headbands, some losses to spine label on vol. 1 and crack to spine of vol. 3, but the whole stablished and furbished to a good standard). Provenance: sparse contemporary pencil marginalia in vols 4-6 cropped by the binder.

Place of origin:Northern Europe
Auction house category:Books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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09.12.2020 – 09.12.2020
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