London: Chapman and Hall, 1852. Hardcover. Ex-library from W. Wilson Moffat's English, French, and Italian Circulating Library, Edinburgh. According to his bookplate, Mr. Moffat was a bookseller, printer, and binder. His bookplate in the front of both volumes and the number 77 in ink on the front pastedown are the only evidence that this was part of a circulating library. Very good in original maroon cloth boards with gilt titles to spines and embossed decoration to spines and boards. Minor wear to edges of boards. Both bindings are slightly rolled. Clean interiors with only a few light smudge marks and notes in pencil on the rear free endpage of volume one. 310 pages in volume 1; 319 pages in volume 2. SCOT/061311 This set may require an extra shipping fee. Very Good. More

London: Wm. S. Orr and Co., 1843. Scarce first edition. In his preface, the author documents the many charges made against England since its having united legislatively with Ireland in 1800. These charges include having conquered Ireland, destroyed its independence, practiced cruel oppressions, and having brought about a union that has "produced misery wretchedness, exhaustion, and destitution." Martin in this book sets about addressing these allegations and charges by carefully and minutely examining these charges and endeavoring to discover the truth. In his dedication to Sir Robert Peel, former Secretary to Ireland, Martin states that his examination shows that Ireland had her population doubled and her shipping and commerce quadrupled since the union. He cites progress across the economy, commerce, social well being and more. He produced statistics and data to support his findings. Bound in contemporary three quarter black leather with blue and black marbled paper boards, page edges, and endpapers. Leather rubbed and corners bumped. Marbled boards are scuffed. Interior pages are clean and bright. Nice fold-out map showing proposed Irish railroad routes and several charts with demographic data. Very good condition. Octavo. 424 pages. IRELAND/050521. More

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1859. Hardcover. A charming book by Reynolds Hole about the delightful sights and experiences he had during a two week tour of Ireland.The book is in turn serious and humorous, and Hole's journey is delightfully captured by the illustrations done by John Leech. There are numerous b&w text illustrations throughout, four full page b&w illustrations and a frontispiece fold-out hand colored illustration titled "The Claddagh- Galway." The frontis has been folded rather clumsily and protrudes from the text block, but is intact. Nicely bound in quarter red leather with black spine label and light red cloth covers. All edges gilt. Sprightly yellow decorated endpapers. Rear pastedown has a small gold sticker with the initials "KG" that may be a binder's label. Contents page is chipped along bottom edge but interior is otherwise very good. Measures 5.5 x 7.5 inches. 220 pages plus 4 pages of publisher advertisements. IRELAND/030121. Very Good. More

Paris: Baudry's European Library, 1838. Hardcover. Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border is an anthology of Border ballads, together with some from north-east Scotland and a few modern literary ballads, edited by Walter Scott. It was first published in 1802, but was expanded in several later editions, reaching its final state in 1830, two years before Scott's death. It includes many of the most famous Scottish ballads, such as The Young Tamlane, The Twa Corbies, The Douglas Tragedy,The Wife of Usher's Well, The Cruel Sister, The Dæmon Lover, and Thomas the Rhymer. Scott enlisted the help of several collaborators, and found his ballads both by field research of his own and by consulting the manuscript collections of others. Controversially, in the editing of his texts he preferred literary quality over scholarly rigour, but Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border nevertheless attracted high praise from the first. It was influential both in Britain and on the Continent, and helped to decide the course of Scott's later career as a poet and novelist [Wikipedia]. Each ballad is accompanied by a history and explanation of the ballad's origin and meaning. This is a later edition published in English by a French publisher. It is bound in three quarter dark brown leather with green cloth covers. Spines have red title labels and gilt decorations. Leather is rubbed, bumped and worn, and the green cloth is darkened along the spine. Hinges a bit tender. The interior pages are very good with occasional light spotting and dampstain to the top margin of the first few pages of Volume I. Measures 5 x 8.5 inches. Volume I: 313 pages; Volume II: 324 pages. SCOT/092021. Very Good. More

Edinburgh: The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1936. Hardcover. Small 4to. Very good in navy blue cloth covered boards with gilt title to spine. Minor rubbing and edgewear to exterior. Slight yellowing to edges of pages. Else is clean and bright. Index, 468 pages. Scottish History. SCO209061. Very Good. More