The Whole Genuine Works of Virgil, William Henry Melmoth, Subscriber's Copy, c. 1788

The Whole Genuine Works of Virgil, The Famous Roman Poet: Including New and Complete Editions of The Aeneid, Georgics, and Pastorals, Bucolics, or Eclogues; Those very Celebrated and Universally-admired Original Productions. All carefully Translated from the Original Latin. Illustrated with Large and Valuable Explanatory Notes. Embellished with a Most Superb Set of Grand Quarto Copper-Plates. The Whole, Revised, Corrected and Improved by William Henry Melmoth, Esq.

Printed for Alex Hogg, at the King's Arms, London. Undated but c. 1788. Worldcat lists potential printing dates from 1786-1790. First edition thus.

A very good copy of this splendid edition of Virgil's works. Bound in full calf with raised bands and red morocco label to spine, and gilt embellishments. Covers are scuffed and bumped. A little frayed to head and tail. Marbled endpapers with some cracking at joint, but all soundly bound.

Overall the text is lovely and clean with only occasional minor flaw. Plates are also beautifully presented with only infrequent mild age spotting. The title page has been professional remounted with new plain borders, retaining all original text content on front and verso. The map was originally designed to fold-out (although only marginally longer than the standard page length), with the original fold line still visible, but it has been allowed to extend completely in this binding resulting in the lower few millimeters being a little frayed and browned.

A desirable addition to any library.

Text in English.

iv + 497pp + 1pp advertisement + 3pp Subscriber's List + 1pp advertisement. Plus Frontispiece Plate + additional 30 Plates, including one map (A Map of the Travels of Aeneas adapted to Virgil's Aeneid), as called for. There are no binder's directions included for plate positioning.

Weight approximately 1.8kg unpacked.

Dimensions: Approximately 267mm high x 220mm wide x 43mm deep.