BOSWELL, James (1740-1795). The Life of Samuel Johnson. London: printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1791.

First edition, in a Cosway-style binding with portrait miniatures on both volumes, depicting Samuel Johnson and James Boswell respectively. A very clean copy, beautifully presented. Second state, with "give" on p.135 in vol. 1; Mm4 and Nn1 in vol. 1 and E3, Oo4, Qq3, Zz1 and Eee2 in vol. 2 are cancels. Boswell's great biography was published 16 May, 1791 and achieved immediate critical acclaim. It has not been out of print since. An exquisite set.

Two volumes, quarto (252 x 200mm). Engraved portrait frontispiece by James Heath after Joshua Reynolds, two engraved plates of facsimiles by H. Shepherd. Full brown morocco gilt by Bayntun (Rivière), upper covers with large gilt centerpieces surrounding hand-painted portrait miniatures on ivory, spines gilt in six compartments with raised bands, board edges decorated in gilt, turn-ins gilt, light brown morocco and moiré silk doublures, the inner covers with gilt-ruled borders enclosing a large gilt central decoration of quartrefoil ornaments connected by pointillé rules; all edges gilt, stamp-signed by the binders on upper turn-in; two half morocco clamshell boxes lined in velvet. Provenance: Sotheby’s, 16 December 1996, lot 52.