8vo. In two volumes. [5], xxix, [1], 376; [3], p.vi, 447pp, [1]. Without half-titles. Contemporary gilt-tooled half-calf, marbled boards, contrasting brown and green calf lettering-pieces. Extremities rubbed. Foxed.

An early nineteenth-century edition of the chief work of Scottish episcopalian clergyman and essayist Archibald Alison (1757-1839), first published in 1790. These Essays on the nature of aesthetics and the psychological effects of beauty on the mind examine the emotional reactions to the likes of sight, sound and touch when experiencing art, music and literature. Alison's work makes reference to the landscapes of Claude Lorraine, the poetry of Milton, and the music of Handel, amongst others, in order to support his arguments.