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1825 · 17451 — John Major Fleet-Street 1825. 8vo. First Major Edition with a copper-engraved portrait frontispiece engraved and printed titles 9 copper-engraved plates and 52 woodcut illustrations and embellishments in the text one or two plates very faintly foxed with some resultant faint offsetting to facing leaves; most handsomely bound in late nineteenth century navy blue crushed full morocco sides with triple frame border in gilt back with five raised bands ruled in gilt second compartment framed blocked and lettered in gilt all other compartments elaborately framed and tooled in gilt to a geometric floral design all edges gilt elaborate gilt doublures marbled endpapers a splendid crisp clean copy in superb signed period binding. With the engraved gilt trade ticket of Pickering on front paste-down and the binder's stamp 'BM Pickering' on front free endpaper verso. The first Major edition of Walton's great biographical collection issued as a complement to the same publisher's 1823 edition of The Compleat Angler. Walton lived in the parish of St. Dunstan's where Donne was vicar; his life of his friend was written in 1640 as an introduction to a collection of the poet-clergyman's sermons. The other subjects were also personal friends; their biographies were first published in 1651 Wotton 1665 Hooker 1670 Herbert and 1678 Sanderson. In this copy the portrait of Henry Wotton called for at p.87 is placed as frontispiece to the volume as a whole; the portrait of Hooker called for at p.161 is placed at p.166; the plate 'The Advocate' called for at p.377 is engraved as 'The Pleader' and placed at p.378. A PRESENTATION COPY FROM EDWARD COMPTON AUSTEN LEIGH TO LORD FRANCIS HERVEY WITH THE FORMER'S NEAT HOLOGRAPH INSCRIPTION DATED 1865 ON FRONT FREE ENDPAPER VERSO. Austen Leigh was Master at Eton while Hervey was a pupil. A UNIQUE AND QUITE OUTSTANDING ETON ASSOCIATION COPY OF A WORK RATED BY JOHNSON AS 'AMONG HIS MOST FAVOURITE BOOKS'. John Major, Fleet-Street, hardcover