Descrizione

8vo., First Edition thus[?], with engraved frontispiece, engraved and printed titles, 3 engraved plates, and four engraved head-and-tail vignettes (one for each section of the work), some mild age-staining as usual, last leaf of text wanting upper outer corner (with loss of half a dozen words); handsomely bound in contemporary green full roan, boards with double gilt frame border enclosing elaborate blind frame within which sits a decorative gilt rectangle, backstrip elaborately tooled in gilt with with black leather label ruled and lettered in gilt, gilt doublures, red sprinkled edges, green endpapers, a most attractive copy. The plates (one of which is placed as frontispiece) and head-pieces are by Sartorius and engraved by Scott. Some of the tail-pieces are signed 'Austin'. This copy was presented by A.H. Cowie to his friend E.W. Hermon with the former's inscription 'J. Cundee, the publisher of this book was my grand uncle and the original oil paintings by Sartorius were in my family till a few years ago'. Somervile's famous blank verse poem was first published in 1735, its successor 'Field Sports' in 1742. VERY SCARCE.