8vo. In two volumes. viii, 436; [2], 292, 90pp, [20]. With an engraved frontispiece to each volume. Contemporary gilt-tooled sprinkled calf, contrasting red morocco lettering-pieces. Rubbed, numerous worm-holes to dulled spines, corners bumped. Minute worm-track to foot of initial four gatherings of Vol. II, short tears to margins of leaves Q3-4 of same, central horizontal tear to leaf c4 (appendix) without loss of sense. From the recently dispersed family estate (by descent) of George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse (1770-1850), Scottish jurist, satirist and friend of Walter Scott and Lord Monboddo, with his armorial bookplate to both FEPs.

The first edition in English of Voltaire's (1694-1778) Siècle de Louis XIV, widely considered the foundational text of French literary history. Although an earlier, preliminary essay-draft had appeared in 1739, the work first appeared in its entirety in French in 1751.