Samuel Johnson — Rasselas

London, William Miller, 1805. Leather. An illustrated edition of Samuel Johnson's popular apologue, an important philosophical fable-like novel. Samuel Johnson's popular apologue about bliss and ignorance, a fable-like fictional work about a Prince of Abyssinia, Rasselas. This was one of the popular works of Johnson, blending together fable, apologue, and theodicy, in a form which critics remark is difficult to classify as a novel. A philosophical work, Johnson imbued a lot of practical importance to this text that was written around the time of his mother's death in 1759.Illustrated with four plates, and one engraved head-piece. Collated, complete.Engraved by A. Raimbach after R. Smirke. In a full straight grain morocco binding. Externally, rubbed. Minor bumping to the extremities. Paste downs and endpapers are a little faded. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with only the occasional spots. Good . Ill.: A. Raimbach; R. Smirke. Good .