Author: [Horace] Horatius Flaccus, Quintus: (Henry Homer & Charles Combe, eds.:)
Title: Opera, cum variis lectionibus, notis variorum, et indice locupletissimo.
Description: Londini [London]: excudebant Gul. Browne, et Joh. Warren. et prostant venales apud T. Payne et J. Edwards. 1792, 1793. First edition thus. 2 vols., 4to, pp. [iv], xlix, [i], 646; [iv], 532, 196 + engraved portrait frontispiece (bound after title- page). Contemporary straight-grained red morocco, boards bordered with a pair of double gilt rules interlocking at the centre of each edge around a gilt oval, spines divided by double raised bands between and enclosing gilt rules, second and third compartments gilt-lettered direct, marbled endpapers, edges gilt. Frontispiece spotted and with a small dampstain to upper inside corner, also offset onto dedication leaf, a few gatherings spotted, two leaves with a small piece torn from blank edge. Spines lightly sunned, a bit of rubbing around the edges, a few small scrapes to boards. Milltown Park library stamp to dedication in vol. 1 and title-page in vol. 2 and their shelfmark label to front pastedowns, along with the William O'Brien bequest label and, in vol. 1, a gift inscription to initial blank giving the book to Alfred Walmsley, from his great uncle Richard Besley, a clipped catalogue description (for the large paper version) to verso of vol. 1 flyleaf. A very nicely bound copy of the luxurious regular-paper issue of Combe's Horace. The generous margins mean that it is often mistaken for the 25-copy large-paper issue, though that is even larger. This copy is nonetheless slightly taller than usual, preserving some deckle edges and with the leaves measuring 28.5cm tall while ESTC records the small-paper issue as 27.8cm (compared to the large- paper at 35cm). The project was originally conceived by the physician Charles Combe (1743-1817) together with the classical scholar Henry Homer (1752-1791), and had the patronage of the Earl of Mansfield (whose portrait is on the frontispiece), but Homer died before it was completed and Combe saw it through alone,. The result is a pleasing and well-edited edition, although the proof-reading was not the most careful and Combe was attacked in print by Homer's teacher, Samuel Parr, sparking a brief war of words. Watt: Bibliotheca Britannica I, p.513v; Dibdin II 116. ESTC T46149.

Keywords: Early Printing (to c.1800, all subjects);Classics & Antiquity


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