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LE BEAU, [Charles]. The history of the lower empire; beginning from Constantine the Great. Translated from the French of M. Le Beau. Volume the first.

London. Printed for T. Davies, 1770. First edition in English.
8vo. Volume I, all published. xxxi, [1], 390pp. With half-title. Uncut in original publisher's drab paper boards. Without spine panel, rubbed and marked. Paste-downs sprung, short marginal tear to leaf T7, else internally immaculate.
The first edition of this anonymous English translation of the first five books of French scholar Charles Le Beau’s (1701-1778) magisterial history of the later Roman Empire, Histoire du Bas-empire en commencant a Constantin le Grand (Paris, 1757-1779). A second edition, with an entirely different title (The history of Constantine the Great) appeared in 1776; however no further volumes of this translation were published.

ESTC records copies of the 1776 second edition at only two locations in the British Isles (BL and Private Collection). No copies of this first edition are recorded by ESTC; however OCLC locates a single copy at Durham.
£ 850.00 Antiquates Ref: 16219