The History of Ireland From the Invasion of Henry II. With a Preliminary Discourse on the Antient State of That Kingdom (Volumes One, Two, and Three only)

Philadelphia & London: Hugh Gain, Robert Bell, and John Dunlap, 1774. Irish historian Thomas Leland (1722-1785) wrote his famous history in 1773. These are Very Good to Very Good to Very Good (Plus) copies; three only of the original four volumes of the First American Edition. An uncommon to scarce title. Full leather bindings, but not matching; Volume 3 is stamped with an "L" and a "3", indicating its place in a library. Volumes One and Two are inscribed on the TP as "Medfield Library and "9" and "10." (Quercus assumes this to be the same-named Massachusetts library founded in 1786.) Clean texts; 359 pages. Texts have occasional spotting, tanning, and flood marking but generally they are excellent and can easily be read today. Externally, Volume 3 is in the best condition; the other two are heavily rubbed and chipped, although holding soundly. This edition is notable as an ASSOCIATION COPY, in that the publisher Dunlap was to print the first broadside of the American Declaration of Independence two years later. Because of the generally excellent quality of the texts, Quercus considers these rare and historically significant volumes to be fine candidates for rebinding.. First American Edition.. Full-Leather. Very Good (Plus)/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.