LOVELY 1795 EDITION OF THE CANTERBURY TALES
CHAUCER, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer; Completed in a Modern Version. Oxford: J. Cooke, 1795. Three volumes. Octavo, early three-quarter red morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, green leather spine labels, marbled boards. $2500.
Scarce first edition of Lipscomb's modernized version of the Canterbury Tales, handsomely bound.
"There is no production of man that displays more various and vigorous talent than the Canterbury Tales" (William Godwin). Clergyman William Lipscomb added greatly to the modernized version published by Ogle in 1741 while retaining adaptations by Pope, Dryden and others which appeared in Ogle's collection. The stories are ordered according to Tyrwhitt's edition. CBEL I, 209. ESTC T142811. Hammond, 227.
Light embrowning to margins of title pages, scattered light foxing. Very handsomely bound.