55. Heraldic Illustration of the 18th century – Guillim, John / [ Edward Le Davis ] / [ Michael van der Gucht].
A Display of Heraldry. By John Guillim, pursuivant at Arms. The Sixth Edition [on fine paper]. Improv’d with large Additions of many hundred Coats of Arms, under their respective Bearings, with good Authorities from the Ashmolean Library, Sir George Mackenzie, &c. With his Tract of Precedency, containing all his Rules, Observations, Arguments, and chief Instances. To which is added, “A Treatise of Honour Military and Civil”, According to the Laws and Customs of England, By Capt. John Logan. Illustrated With the Arms, Crests, Supporters, and Motto’s of the Royal Familly, and Nobility: The Arms of the Sees of the English Bishops, and several of the Gentry. Together With the proper Habits of the different Degrees of the Nobility of England, and the Emblems of the chief Orders of Knighthood in Europe; all fairly engraven on Copper Plates. Also An Exact List of the Baronets, from their first Creation to this present Time; and most of their Arms Blazon’d. With an Account of the Customs, Government, and Privileges of the City of London, the other Cities of England, and Shire-Towns of each County, and their Arms. Likewise A Supplement of Scarce tracts relating to the Office of Arms, taken from Authentick Copies. And A Dictionary, explaining the several Terms used by Heralds, in English, Latin and French. With proper Tables to the Whole. [With 17 full-page, original portraits, engraved by Edward Le Davis and flemish engraver Michael van der Gucht / With 295 engraved crests / coat of arms, displayed on 47 pages].
London, R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin in St.Paul’s Church-Yard / And J. Walthoe and Tho. Ward, in the Temple, 1724. Folio (26 cm x 39 cm). Frontispiece, [5], 20 pp. [″The Introduction”], [1], 460 pp. [″A Display of Heraldry”], [2], 275 pp. [″Observations upon the Laws and Customs of Nations”], 58 pp. [″Honour Civil of the City of London”], 24 pp. [″Dictionary used by Heralds”], [11] pp. [″Alphabetical Table of the Names of the Nobility and Gentry”]. Illustrated and complete with 17 portraits of courtyard and apparatus and 47 plates, engraved on wood, reproducing a total of hundreds of coats of arms with coats, crests, lambrequins, helmets and coins. Very many coats of arms in the 2-columned text. Hardcover / Original 18th-century binding with modern restauration (rebacked) to the highest standards. Superior example of this publication ! Unusually excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear. Frontispiece and last page of the work with minor crease. Two corners torn (two pages following the title), corner of page 185 torn and page 92 of the second part of the book with longer lesion within text (no loss of text). Endpapers and pastedown with some minor spotting. All these descriptions of faults sound worse than they are. Interior text, plates and portraits overall in unbelievably clean and excellent condition. Name of pre-owner in ink on title and verso frontispiece (″J.Stilwell”).