ROLLIN, Charles.
The ancient history of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes & Persians, Macedonians & Grecians. Durham, G. Walker, [c. 1824].
8 vols, 12mo in 6s, with frontispiece portrait, engraved titles with vignettes, 12 plates (of which 6 folding) and 14 large folding maps engraved by Rymer after d’Anville; a little spotting, very occasional tears, browning from paper page marker in vol. III; uncut and partially unopened in publisher’s blue boards, brown paper spines with printed labels, opened by hand; a little chipped at extremities, nonetheless a good set; provenance: J. Wetherall (inscriptions to upper pastedowns, largely erased or covered).
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The ancient history of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes & Persians, Macedonians & Grecians.
Durham edition of Rollin’s history, accompanied by a series of large folding maps by d’Anville. The magnum opus of Charles Rollin (1661-1741), the Ancient History was among the most thorough publications on the ancient world. Appearing in English translation in 1730, very soon after the first publication in French, it was enormously widely read for much of the next century.
An early provincial publication, this was the only Durham edition and the second to be printed anywhere in England other than London (following a two-volume Darlington edition, held only by Durham). Active around 1800, the publisher George Walker here describes himself both as ‘bookseller’ and as ‘printer’, though few publications are recorded under his name.
Scarce: COPAC records only three sets in the UK (BL, Woolsthorpe Manor, John Rylands), and none could be traced at auction.