Travels into several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships by Swift, Jonathan - 1726

London: Bejamin Motte, 1731. In two volumes. Pp. [ii]+viii+264+[vi]+270(last blank), frontispiece portrait plus 10 plates (including maps and plans), decorative head & tailpieces and small initials (several in Volume I with early yellow colouring); cr. 12mo; early calf, neatly rebacked with later spines ruled in gilt around raised bands and gilt lettered red leather title labels, boards slightly rubbed, edges lightly worn, with a few small grazes; early inked annotations to the upper endpapers, plus a few small ink marks near centre of frontispiece, and some notes in an early hand on the lower free endpaper of Volume II, the frontispiece cropped at fore-edge (with some loss to the border), several leaves slightly creased, a couple of small edge chips, occasional minor marginal damp stains, scattered light foxing and soiling, including a couple of ink stains; printed for Benjamin Motte, London, 1731. Third edition, second issue. Teerink 295; ESTC T139026. *A reissue of the 1727 duodecimo edition, with… Read More

London: Benjamin Motte, at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, 1726. A fine copy. Four parts in two volumes, octavo; portrait of Gulliver by John Sturt engraved by Robert Sheppard and six engraved plates, five of them maps, by H. Moll; 19th-century polished calf gilt, spine gilt between raised bands, green lettering pieces, triple fillet border on sides, marbled endpapers with gilt dentelle borders, gilt edges; binding by Francis Bedford with his stamp. First edition, first issue (Teerink "A"), with the portrait in second state as is more usual. This is a fine copy of one of the greatest of all works of English (and travel) literature. From its first publication the success of Gulliver was immediate and sustained, its influence enormous. Gove knew of over one hundred eighteenth century editions and there have been countless since. Although it had its famous detractors (notably Samuel Johnson's famously dismissive 'When once you have thought of the big men and little men, it is very easy to do… Read More