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ROBERTSON, William.
The History of America.
The Tenth Edition. In which is included the Posthumous Volume, containing the History of Virginia, to the Year 1688; and of New England, to the Year 1652.
Publisher: London: Cadell and Davies; F.C. and J. Rivington; Wilkie and Robinson and 23 others, 1812
Stock code: 62610
Price: £350 Currency Conversion
First published in 1777. "Most highly regarded secondary source of its time" (Howes).Roberston's work "helped establish historical writing as one of the foremost literary genres of Enlightenment Scotland. The dignity of his style brought equal dignity to the subject matter, and in no small measure Robertson's works helped pave the way for the dominance of history that was to follow in the nineteenth century. Although in recent years both Hume and Gibbon have often been considered greater historians in terms of intellectual insight and historical comprehension, Robertson's contemporaries generally had no hesitation about making him their equal, if not superior" (ODNB). Regarded as Robertson's "most interesting, original, and even Romantic work," it was an immediate success, particularly so "on the continent, where it was considered Robertson's masterpiece (in Suard's translation), and went through nine editions between 1777 and 1780." An attractive set bound for Thomas Reynolds-Moreton, 1st Earl of Ducie, with his ownership inscriptions to the title pages, and Ducie gilt to the tails of the spines.
4 volumes octavo (208 × 125 mm). Later red half pebble-grained morocco, pinkish ochre boards, title direct to spines, low bands with gilt rules, roundels gilt to compartments, single rules at corner and spine edges, marbled edges and endpapers. 4 folding maps, one folding plate. Slight shelfwear, some spotting on the boards, mild browning front and rear, overall a very nice set.
