The new royal encyclopedia; or, complete modern universal dictionary of arts and sciences on a new and improved plan ... containing a digest and display of the whole theory and practice of the liberal and mechanical arts comprising a general repository of ancient and modern literature ... including all the material information that is contained in Chamber's Cyclopedia, the Encyclopædia Britannica, and the French Encyclopædie ...
London: printed for C. Cooke … and sold by the booksellers of Bath [and 29 other towns] and by all other booksellers in England, Scotland, and Ireland, n.d., [?1788-90]. First edition, with all the title pages reading The New Royal Encyclopedia (see Alston); 3 volumes in 4, folio, 8-p. subscribers' list at the back of volume III (listing over 1500 names), contemporary full reversed paneled calf, red and black morocco labels on spine; engraved frontispiece in volume I and 153 engraved plates (including 7 folding maps) placed in a separate fourth volume (plate list calls for 150); some slight cracking of the joints on the plate volume, spine ends slightly chipped and/or rubbed, but otherwise very good and sound. Apparently issued in 150 parts. Not in Walsh, Anglo-American General Encyclopaedias; not in Circle of Knowledge; Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 13772; Alston III, 568 recording the third edition (1797?) only with the title The New Encyclopaedia: "The extraordinary variety of editions for each volume found in various copies makes this seem like a bookseller's hoax. The title page to the second volume in the Signet copy reads The New Royal Encyclopaedia ... No acknowledgement is made to previous works ... The usually found combination is as follows: vol. I - third edition; vol. II - second edition; vol. III - second edition. One of the editor's copies is clearly the first issue with all the title pages reading The New Royal Encyclopaedia and without and edition number." Item #47936
Price: $3,000.00
