A fine set of Robertson’s Historia of Charles V , 1782 (4 vol)

William Robertson:

The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. With a view of the progress of society in Europe from the subversion of the Roman Empire, to the beginning of the Sixteenth Century. […] A New edition. 1-4.

London, printed for W. Strahan, T. Cadell, in the Strand, and J. Balfour at Edinburgh, 1782. 8vo. (21 x 13 cms.) XVI + 500; + [4] + 376; + [4] + 460; + [4] + 336 + [84] pp. + 4 engraved frontispieces.

Four volumes. Contemporary full tan calf, spines with raised bands, ruled in gilt and with red labels, sides with outer double fillet border, old library paper labels partly preserved on spines. Last volume with top of spine chipped and a small burn mark to top edge of lower cover, all endleaves slightly dicoloured along edges, 2 leaves of first part with slight corner loss (text unaffected), parts 3 and 4 somewhat foxed.

Robertson (1721-1793), along with David Hume and Edward Gibbon, was one of the three great British historians of the eighteenth century, and ”Charles V” is generally regarded as his masterpiece. It first appeared in 1769.

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