8vo. [8], 69pp, [3]. Contemporary gilt-tooled calf, contrasting black calf lettering-piece. Extremities worn, surface loss to head of upper board and spine, slight splitting to joints. Marbled endpapers, inked annotation to title page, lightly spotted.

The first edition of poet David Mallet's (1701/2?-1765) tragedy based on Houdar de la Motte's Inez de Castro. The play opened at Drury Lane on 19th January 1763 and ran for fourteen performances. An expatriate Scot, Mallet dedicated the work to the controversial Scottish Prime Minister, the Earl of Bute (who would shortly after resign). David Garrick, who played the leading role of Alonzo, provided the epilogue. This first London edition was printed by William Bowyer whose records show an initial printing of 3000 copies, plus 12 fine-paper copies; of which this present copy appears to be one, given the thickness of the paper.