1. [Whyte’s School Dublin] / [Whyte, Samuel] / [Sheridan, Thomas].

Modern Education; or, An Attempt to Explain the Chief Causes and Effects of our Errours and Deficiencies in that Particular. With Practical Proposals for a Reformation. In the Course of which The Female Right to Literature is asserted ; The Supercilious Airs of Vain Pedants Exposed ; Their Wise Objections Exploded ; And the Trite Witticisms, Usual on the Question, Fairly Stated and Confuted : Clearly Demonstrating, That the Weakness and Depravity imputed to the Fair Sex, is wholly owing to our utter Neglect of their Minds ; and that the proper Cultivation of them is the First and Grand Principle of all Human Excellence, as well as of all our social and domestic Felicity. [Bound with: “Lectures On The Art of Reading ; First Part: Containing The Art of Reading Prose. By Thomas Sheridan, A.M., Author of Lectures on Elocution, British Education, &c.”].

First Edition. Dublin, Printed by R.Marchbank, Cole’s Alley, Castle-Street, 1775. Small-Octavo (11.2 cm wide x 17.2 cm high). Pagination: Whyte’s “Modern Education…” is bound to the rear of the Volume: 77 pages plus “Corrigenda” (complete” / Sheridan’s “Lecture on the Art of Reading – Part I” is bound at the start of the Volume: vii, (1), 213 pages plus 1 page “Advertisement” [of Whyte’s “English Grammar-School” in Dublin, Grafton-Street, No.75”]. Hardcover / Original, full 18th century leather with gilt ornament and new spine-label in the style of the 18th century. In protective Mylar. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Extremely scarce title !

2. Sheridan, Thomas / [Benjamin Franklin (mentioned as Subscriber with his address as Ambassador in Paris) / George Washington (mentioned as Subscriber)].

A General Dictionary of the English Language – One main Object of which, is, to establish a plain and permanent Standard of Pronunciation. To which is Prefixed A Rhetorical Grammar. Dedicated to the Volunteers of Ireland. [Including a List of Subscribers mentioning among others also: “Benjamin Franklin (Esq. Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of North America, at Paris, who ordered 20 copies)” / Mentioning also as Subscriber: “His Excellency General George Washington, Commander in Chief of all the Forces of the United States of North America”)].

First Dublin Edition. Dublin, Printed by P.Wogan at The Old Bridge and P.Byrne, College-Green, 1784. Octavo (14 cmx 21 cm). [10], LXIX, 825 [unnumbered] pages. Including a lenghty section mentioning the Irish Subscribers to this Dictionary with name and town. Hardcover / Original 18th century full leather with original, red spine-label with gilt lettering. In protective Mylar. Binding rubbed and with some minor loss to leather. The binding firm and strong and endpapers and pastdeowns intact and NOT cracked ! Small signs of a faded dampstain without any consequence to the very good condition throughout. One page with a tear (Letter G). The unpaginated section was collated as complete.

3. [Cullen, Stephen] Anonymus.

The Haunted Priory: or, The Fortunes of The House of Rayo. A Romance founded partly on historical Facts.

The Second Edition / [Original Edition – This is NOT a reprint]. London, Printed for J. Bell, 1794. Small Octavo. 256 pages. Hardcover / Modern half-leather with gilt lettering on spine and paper-covered boards. In bespoke made clamshell-box / solander-box. Beautifully restored and bound by a master bookbinder. Including the original endpapers and the original half-title. Front free endpaper and halftitle with dampstain to lower corner only. Dampstain in lower corner of the titlepage only faintly present. One of the rarest titles of Irish Literature and one of the rarest, early gothic-novels / horror-novels. Absolutely scarce and in excellent condition after the beautiful restoration.

4. [Hales, William].

Irish Pursuits of Literature, in A.D. 1798, and 1799, consisting of I. Translations, II. Second Thoughts, III. Rival Translations, IV. The Monstrous Republic [The Monstrous Republic – Or, French Atrocities Pourtrayed [sic] Portrayed], V. Indexes.

Dublin, Printed for J. Milliken and J. Wright [London], 1799. Large Octavo. [2], XXVII, [1], 153, [1], 99, 71 pages. Hardcover / Original publisher’s interim – binding, paper-covered boards with spinelabel. Very good condition ‘Sammelband’ with several works bound in one. Only minor signs of external wear. The interior in excellent, near Fine condition. Extremely scarce compilation. From the library of Richard Meade, Ballymartle (County Cork), with his name in ink on titlepage and loosely inserted his bookplate.

5. [Croker, John Wilson].

An Intercepted Letter from J- T-, Esq. – Writer at Canton, to his friend in Dublin, Ireland.

Fourth Edition. Dublin, Printed for M.N.Mahon, 109, Grafton Street, 1804. Small Octavo (11.5 cm x 18 cm). III, 42 pages. Hardcover / Stunning, recent half leather and marbled-paper-covered-boards with gilt lettering and ornament to spine, bound to style of the 18th/19th century. Excellent condition. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his name in ink to titlepage.

6. [Hansard, Luke].

The Imperial Review ; or London and Dublin Literary Journal [From 1805 on called “The Imperial Review or London, Edinburgh and Dublin Literary Journal”].

First and only Edition. Five Volumes. London, Printed by Luke Hansard, for T.Cadell and W. Davies, in The Strand, also for J.Archer, J. Cooke (Ormond Quay); and M.N.Mahon (Grafton Street, Dublin); A. Edwards (Cork Printer); J. Barry (Limerick) and W. Magee (Belfast), 1804 – 1805. Octavo. Two Annuals (complete for the Year 1804 and 1805) of this Rare Periodical, bound in five Volumes. Year 1804: Volume the First: (January to April, 1804) XII, 654 pages including Index / Volume the Second: (May to August, 1804) VIII, 639 pages including Index / Volume the Third: (September to December, 1804) VIII, 628 pages including Index // Year 1805: Volume the Fourth [Titlepage missing] (January to June, 1805): VII, 733 pages including Index / Volume the Fifth (July to December, 1805): VII, 706 pages including Index. Original Hardcover with new spinelabels. All Volumes in collector’s Mylar. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Provenance: From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown. Minor browning only. Titlepage of Volume four missing, otherwise complete and the interior in excellent condition. A very rare find, this is one of the more elusive periodicals of the early 19th century, printed just after the Act of Union in 1800 was established and printed by english printer Luke Hansard for publishers and printers in London, Dublin and Cork.

7. [Croker, John Wilson].

Familiar Epistles to Frederick Jones, Esq. – On the Present State of the Irish Stage. Fourth Edition, with considerable Additions.

Dublin, Printed by Graisberry & Campbell and sold by all booksellers, 1805. Small Octavo (11.5 cm x 18 cm). XXX, 178 pages plus Errata-leaf. Hardcover / Stunning, recent half leather and marbled-paper-covered-boards with gilt lettering and ornament to spine, bound to style of the 18th/19th century. Excellent condition. Tear in Errata-leaf professionally repaired. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his name in ink to titlepage.

8. [Swift, Jonathan] Irving, David.

The Elements of English Composition [With an essay on ‘Critical examinations of a passage in the writings of [Jonathan] Swift’].

The Fourth Edition. London, Printed for Richard Phillips, 1816. Octavo. X, 318 pages. Hardcover / Original publisher’s interimsbinding. Binding slightly rubbed. Endpaper with small abrasion (minor tear). Bookseller-sign on pastedown: “Sold by J.Bolster, Bookseller, No.7, Patrick Street, Cork”. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle) / Name of preowner John Meade in ink on titlepage.

9. Knowles, James Sheridan / Willan Smith, Robert.

Virginius – A Tragedy. In Five Acts. As Performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. (First Edition, 1820) / Bound together with: The Hunchback – A Play in Five Acts (Fourth Edition, 1832). [Presentation copy / Signed copy]

Two Volumes in One. London, Printed for James Ridgway, 1820. Octavo. Pagination: Virginius – 85, (3) pages / Hunchback – VIII, (2), 118 pages. Hardcover / Original, contemporary green cloth with original red morocco label to spine. The Volume is now in protective Mylar. Stronger signs of foxing to “Virginius” but still in very good condition. Inscribed by James Sheridan Knowles to one Robert Willan Smith on the titlepage:″To Mr. Willan with the affectionate Respect + Gratitude of the Author”. Sheridan Knowles had a chance to be Willan’s successor but decided for a literary and acting career. / “The Hunchback” in excellent condition, also with inscription and signature of Knowles on the titlepage and with the ownership-inscription of Robert Willan Smith. Rare Cork related !

10. Moore, Thomas.

The works of Thomas Moore, Esq. Accurately printed from the last original editions. With critical Notes. [With a preface by Ernest Fleischer and a “Biographical and Critical Sketch of Thomas Moore” by J.W.Lake].

In Two Complete Volumes. Leipsic, printed for Ernst Fleischer, 1833-1840. Large Octavo. Vol. I: XL, 751 pages / Vol. II:VI, 252 pages. Including a frontispiece – portrait of Thomas Moore. Original Hardcover. Poor condition of the binding with signs of external wear. Both volumes’ spines are considerably worn and fragile; there is discolouration to the frontcovers of both volumes, and foxing on inside and selective pages of both. From the reference library of Hans Christian Andersen – Translator Erik Haugaard. With his Exlibris to the pastedown. Internally firm and complete and only with some minor signs of a faded dampstain.