"Outside of a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
— Groucho Marx

London: Printed for J. Johnson, 1799. [Botany]. FINE CONTEMPORARY BINDING, the fourth edition. In two volumes. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.[2] xiv; xvii-xx; 492 [2]; pp.[4] xii; xv-xvi; 282 [6]. With 21 etchings and copper engraved plates, including a frontispiece to each volume. Contemporary navy full diced calf with gilt titles and decoration to spines. Marbled endpapers; all edges flecked blue. Neat black ink gift inscription to first blank of each volume, dated 1801. Some browning and spotting around plates. Folding table facing p.375 of volume I badly torn, with a couple of old repairs; edges well proud of text block. Spines a little rubbed, otherwise very good. A pair of poems explaining the classification system of Carl Linnaeus, first published together in 1791, following the great success of an anonymous publishing experiment with 'The Loves of Plants' alone in 1789. Item #50257
Price: £750.00