Addisoniana

by Richard Phillips

Spine – Both Volumes

Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet and a man of letters. He was born in Wiltshire in 1671. This is a wonderful old set of books on him and his works. The books were published in 1803 by T. Davison, Lombard Street, Fleet Street. The books measure 4 inches by 6 ½ inches. Volume I contains xxiv, 242 pages. In addition, Volume I contains 7 pages of fold out facsimiles. Volume II contains 260 pages plus the index.

The covers consist of leather covered hard boards. They had been finished in a “marbled” sort of design which has rubbed off in places. The cover has gilt detailing on the spine and the fore edges of the boards. The each spine has two leather paste-ons. The top one “Anas” and the bottom one “Addison.” On Volume I, the upper paste-on is chipped on the lower right hand corner and the lower paste-on is chipped on the upper right hand corner. On Volume II, the upper paste on is chipped on the left hand side and the right hand side appears to have been repaired while the lower paste-on is intact. The covers show signs of wear to the edges, corners and to the top, bottom and sides of the spines. The leather cover is split on both hinges on Volume I. The leather cover is split on the front hinge and just on the upper part of the back hinge on Volume II. The boards are being held by the binding cords. A sticker from a previous bookseller and binder is on the inside front cover of Volume I along with an inscription noting “No. 785.” The fore edges of the pages are speckled. The pages show no signs of rips. There is occasional light to moderate foxing. Volume II was to contain a portrait of Sir Richard Steele at page 216. The portrait is not present and does not appear to have been removed, but rather, it appears that it was not bound in at all. Exceptions noted, the overall condition of the exterior of the books is good and the condition of the interior of the books is very good.

Bottom Edges – Both Volumes

Front Cover – Volume I

Title Page – Volume I

Sample Text - Preface

Inside front cover – note book stamp

Excerpt - Preface:
It is the design of these volumes to record the private memorabilia of the life and writings of Addison. At the distance, however, of nearly a century, this has not been found so easy as had been at first imagined. Much industry however hath been employed to render this miscellany as complete as the nature of the work required, and no pains have been spared to enrich it with anecdote…
End excerpt