For sale is an excessively rare 1810 edition of Athenian Letters: Or, The Epistolary Correspondence of An Agent of the King of Persia, Residing at Athens During the Peloponnesian War. Yorke, Philip Earl of Hardwicke. Published by London: T. Cadell & W. Davies, in The Strand, 1810. Collated as fully complete.

Only 12 copies of the London 1741-3 octavo 4 volumes first edition were printed (at the expense of the authors, Yorke, et al). In 1781, a new edition London one volume quarto was published in 100 copies only. The London 1792 imprint octavo 2 volumes is a Dublin pirated edition. The present London, 1810, 2 volumes quarto, prefixed a geographical index, added a map & 13 engraved plates.

Two volumes, 4to (11 x 9), pp. lxii, 2, (1)-436, engraved folding map of Greece (22½ x 17¼), engraved frontispiece portrait of Philip Yorke, 6 engraved portrait plates of ancient Athenians; (i-iv), v - xv, (xvi), (1) - 466, engraved frontispiece portrait of Charles Yorke, 5 engraved portrait plates of ancient Athenians.

Bound in original full tan calf, with tooling in gilt to the spines and boards. Original green endpapers.

Externally worn in places, and with losses to the spines. The hinges split, but holding firm, and the volumes stand handsomely.

Internally, save the occasional spot in places, the text, illustrations and map are in very clean order. The map, which folds out to form an impressive overview of the subject, is in pleasing order, with only one small tear close to the inner margin (without loss of text).

Overall, this is an exceptionally rare opportunity to own this sought after work. All editions are seldom seen on the market; perhaps this is the most scarce of all. We highly recommend it.