An Essay on Hunting.

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EXTRA illustrated, 47 pls, VG. In full 20c brown morocco, decorative gilt tooling, edges rubbed. Relaid spine, old laid down, raised bands, gilt titles & decorative gilt tooling. Internally, portrait frontis, [3], 4-92 pp, 47 pls (includes 1 folding & 12 coloured), 1 vignette, 2 printers devices, upper cover with gilt illustration of a hare hunting scene by horse, within gilt box, lower cover has gilt image of fox head and laurels (pencil note to verso of fep states Bound by Lloyd of Mold, gilt tooling to board edges, decorative gilt tooling to turn-ins, marbled endpapers, t.e.g, tissue guards to all plates, title page in red and black ink within double ruled borders with vignette, not dated but probably of the early 1800's. Many of Howitt's plates are dated 1798 or 99 and some state that they were also republished by Edward Orme in 1812 (his sporting book?). There is a wonderful double page plate by Rowlandson [Fox Hunting, a Landscape scene, 1787]. The coloured plates are mostly 1801 or 2. Articles and plates on Horses, Foxhunting, Hare running, Shewing a Horse, Hare Hunting, Otter hunting, The Badger and more. Fascinating. Copac suggests it was an 1803 or 1817 facsimile of the 1733 edition, printed by G Smeeton of St Martin's Lane. 6 copies in UK institutions. It also states that it came with 1 plate (port), so the remainder were tipped in at a later stage?. All a bit of a mystery but a wonderful book, and possibly a little uncommon! (Halkett & Laing state author was Thomas Gosden) (pencil note to fep states author was not Gosden but by Rev Mr Squire Am, Chancellor of Wells?)