1807 GIBBON, HISTORY/ DECLINE FALL of ROMAN EMPIRE,12 V

Selling here is a 12 volume set of Edward Gibbon's 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' printed in London for Cadell and Davies et al, 1807.

The contents meet collation: 38, [1], iv-xxiv, 456; xvi, 496; viii, 412; viii, 443; x, 432; viii, 420; xii, viii, 424; [2], viii, 375; [3], vi-xii, 502; [3], vi-xii, 385; [3], vi-xii, 460; [3], vi-xv, 432, [96].   pp, with portrait frontispiece  and 1 folding map of the parts of Europe and Asia adjacent to Constantinople present in volume II.  

 8vo, uniformly bound in contemporary full diced calf, brown title and volume labels gilt, 5 raised bands to spines, hinges rubbed, spine ends chipped and edges and extremities rather scuffed. 

This is one of a number of antiquarian books we have for auction without reserve, please View My Other Items For Sale.

Condition: The books measure 14.5cm by 22cm. The bindings are defective as described above, vol V with a split to head of upper hinge, vol VII, the backstrip lifting at base, vol XI with the upper board holding very tenuously by a cord, with the backstrip peeling away, vol XII upper hinge split at head. The other vols are  basically sound, with  some minor cracking to hinges. The textblocks are all holding firmly and in good order, the pages in good crisp and mostly clean condition, with some light scattered foxing and smudging to all vols. The folding map to vol II a touch browned and dustsoiled. Some corners turned, a few leaves a little creased, with some handling marks in places, but a good set overall.   Old owners ink inscription dated 1831 to verso of the ffe - vol I.   Archival tape repair to pp. 167 vol IV.    Period beige endpapers.