8vo. In two volumes. [30], 264, [2]; [24], 94, [2], [95]-152, [2], [153]-172, [2], [173]-19pp, [15]. Engraved throughout, each volume with a large engraved frontispiece (that to Vol. I trimmed and laid down) and numerous vignette initials and head/tail pieces, several of which occupying a full page. Finely bound in eighteenth century English gilt- tooled crushed red morocco for Thomas Pearson, with a poppinjay atop a grecian urn tooled to the head of spine of each volume. Marbled endpapers, A.E.G. A little rubbed and marked, with small chip to spine of Vol. II at head, and a small stain to verso of lower board of the same volume. Occasional light spotting to text.

A handsomely bound copy, bearing the tooling of English book collector Thomas Pearson of the true first printing of the fully-engraved and finely engraved edition of the works of Roman lyric poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65-8 BC), produced by English cartographer, designer and engraver John Pine (1690-756).

A famous example of English rococo book-production, with an extensive subscription list divided by location (in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, Paris, Madrid and Holland), the original Pine plates were later re-used in 1757 by a consortium of seven publishers. This first printing is determined by the presence of the uncorrected typographical error 'post est' on the medallion of Caesar (p.108, Vol. II).

The binding on this copy was executed for Major Thomas Pearson of Kendal (1740-1781), military officer who served on the Bengal establishment before amassing a large library with a focus on Elizabethan literature. His library was catalogued and (Bibliotheca Pearsoneana, London, 1788) and sold by the Egertons, with this this set listed as no. 2783, 'corio Turcico'.