Colophon Books

Description

Sir John Reresby.

The Travels and Memoirs of Sir John Reresby. The Former (now First Published) Exhibiting a View of the Governments and Society in the Principal States and Courts of Europe, during the Time of Cromwell s Usurpation the Latter Containing Anecdotes, and Secret History of the Courts of Charles II. and James II.

Pub by: Edward Jeffrey (Printer & Sherwood, Neely & Jones of Paternoster Row and J. Rodwell. London. 1813.

Description: Xii pp + 414 pages with a following unnumbered 32 page index at rear and on recto of final leaf a publishers list of new books. There are 20 copperplate portrait engravings + 7 hand coloured stipple and mixed plates + 3 hand coloured views and 3 plain. with a full page wood engraved plate of Thomas (Lord) Halifax + a folding view of London from the Village of Charing and a folding sepia tinted "Memento Mori" copper plate. a total of 37 plates lacks 2 or three? (a view of York + a view of Florence & a plate of Sir Edward Sprague) Not having been bound in? The book has some pages browned and some light to medium foxing on some plates and a few pages, paper watermarked, plates seemingly not? , bound in a 19th century half vellum with gilt lettering and band design on the spine, marbled paper boards, the binding dates to about 1870-1880. 9.5 x 6 inches [22 x15 cm). NOTE: The politician, traveller and writer Reresby (1634-1689) was the son of the royalist Sir John Reresby, Bt (c. 1611-1646), who had been created a Baronet by Charles I. Like his father, the younger Reresby remained loyal to the Stuarts throughout his political career. He was to rise from relative obscurity to become a prominent local politician and a point of contact between local and national affairs. THIS book seems to have variant plate issues. The copy held by the British Library states that copy has a plate in facsimile, which it doesn't state which? Then the "memento mori" plates is tinted here and in other copies either not included or plain black & white? Some seem to have either 9,10,11 hand coloured portraits and no clear indication of hand coloured views (We have made it clear what this copy has) many only have 39 plates, making this copy lacking possibly 2 or even only one and only one page indicates the removal of the plate of York, the others listed seem not to have been bound in at any time? We offer this copy as a good to very good but incomplete copy of this scarce 1st edition. Money always refunded if dissatisfied. Priced accordingly. FINALLY: He was the last of his lineage and this family died out with him. The papers were bought privately and only published in 1813 for the first time.