THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE [with,] MISCELLANEOUS WORKS OF EDWARD GIBBON, Esquire With Memoirs of His Life and Writings Composed by Himself: Illustrated From His Letters, With Occasional Notes and Narrative, by John Lord Sheffield. In Two Volumes

8 volumes. RARE AND ELUSIVE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE OF ALL SIX VOLUMES OF THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL. FIRST STATE of Volume I with errata uncorrected in the text and notes and with the cancels as called for, X4 (text) and a4 (notes) are so signed. Only 500 copies of the first issue of Volume I are known to have been printed. With the FIRST EDITION of the MISCELLANEOUS WORKS. Engraved portrait after the painting by Joshua Reynolds in Volume I, three large and finely engraved folding maps of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire and Constantinople. With the half-titles to Volumes III-VI of the Decline and Fall. The Miscellaneous Works with a silhouette engraving to Volume I. 4to (280 x 220 mm), in a beautiful binding of full contemporary mottled calf, the covers with borders in gilt, the backs fully gilt with compartments separated by gilt tooled lines and gilt rolled decorative bands. Elaborately and handsomely designed in the compartments incorporating central gilt tools, and elaborate overall tooling gilt, lettering and numbering in gilt on red morocco labels in the appropriate compartments. History of the Decline and Fall: viii, (xvi), (vii, blank), (1) - 586, (2 Notes, Advertisements), lxxxviii, (1 errata, blank); (2), (1) - 640, (errata, blank), ; (xii), (1) - 640, (1 errata, blank); (iv), viii, (viii), (1) - 620; (xii), (1) - 684; (xiv), (1) - 646, (51, General Index), (1 errata) pp.; Miscellaneous Works: xxv, (1 errata), 703, blank; viii, 726, (errata, advertisements leaf) pp. A very handsome set of both of Gibbon's writings, the text leaves very well preserved, quite clean, crisp and unpressed, the bindings handsomely presented, the hinges and tips restored and strengthened as required over the years, original spine panels laid down, one volume number replaced at a later date, one volume with hinges starting, the spine panels all original to the bindings. A rare and elusive set restored as required and retaining all the original materials, the backs all original to the bindings.