History of England From the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth
By James Anthony Froude
Published by John W. Parker and Son; later volumes by Longman, Green, & Co., London, 1856 to 1870
First editions of the complete set of Froude's great history. Such a set, with first editions throughout, and uniformly bound is rare, and more so in the original published bindings.
"The History of England was a great success, to some extent emulating Macaulay's. But Macaulay's tone was brisk and materialistic; Froude's was more gentle, more diffident and elegiac, drawing on the religious controversies of his youth, but reflecting the mid-Victorian public's exhaustion with doctrinal controversy. Its main theme was anti-clerical, but it was not irreligious. For its prose it soon became a classic".
Froude ranks as one of the great Victorian historians.
In 12 volumes, in the original half-leather bindings, with six compartments, raised bands, and titles in gilt to the spine, with marbled endpapers, and edges.
All volumes have light shelfwear. Scattered foxing is to the preliminary pages and the last four leaves only, unless stated below otherwise. There are no previous owners' names or inscriptions. There are no missing, stained, loose, or damaged pages, unless stated below. The bindings and blocks are all solid with no loose hinges or cracks to the bindings.
They are all original, and complete, a beautiful set.
The volumes are:
Vol I - 1856 - There is no foxing, and published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol II - 1856, published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol III - 1858, published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol IV - 1858, very little scattered foxing to the preliminary pages, and published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol V - 1860, published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol VI - 1861 - There is no foxing, and published by John W. Parker and Son
Vol VII - 1863 - There are two marks to the front cover, and stated as Vol I as published by Longman, Green, & Co.
Vol VIII - 1863 - Stated as Vol II as published by Longman, Green, & Co.
Vol IX - 1866 - There is no foxing but there is a small blemish to the bottom of two facing preliminary pages, and stated as Vol III as published by Longman, Green, & Co.
Vol X - 1866 - Stated as Vol IV as published by Longman, Green, & Co.
Vol XI - No foxing to the rear pages, the half-title and title page were not bound in error when published, but published as Vol V by Longman, Green, & Co.
Vol XII - 1870 - Stated as Vol VI as published by Longman, Green, & Co.
Complete in 12 volumes
Each volume measures 21.5cm x 14cm weighs over a very significant 11kgs unpacked.