John Gay — Fables by John Gay

London, Darton & Harvey , 1793 . Leather. The beautifully illustrated, first Darton & Harvey edition of John Gay's fables, including twelve plates are designs by William Blake. The first Darton & Harvey edition.An edition published by John Stockdale was published earlier the same year; both editions included the same plates, although here they are in oval form.Bound in half crushed morocco with marbled paper-covered boards.Illustrated with a frontispiece and sixty-seven engravings, comprised of an illustration to each fable. Including a number after designs by William Blake. Collated, complete. The collected fables of John Gay, with a total of sixty-six fables.Fables in this volume include 'The Spaniel and the Chameleon', 'The Mother, the Nurse, and the Fairy', 'The Wild Boar and the Ram', 'The Lady and the Wasp', and more. Gay originally wrote fables for Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland, in 1727, and despite writing them for a royal, he wrote about the vanities of court honours. Bound in half crushed morocco with marbled paper-covered boards. Externally, excellent, with minor shelf wear only. Endpapers renewed and blanks discarded. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean, with light scattered spotting in places and a few marks. A few light tide marks towards the rear of the work. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: William Blake; Et Al. Very Good Indeed .