MOORE, Thomas. Moore’s Irish Melodies. Illustrated by Daniel Maclise.

MOORE, Thomas. Moore's Irish Melodies. Illustrated by Daniel Maclise. London: Longmans, 1866. Small quarto. pp. 270. Superbly bound in full green hard-grained morocco over bevelled boards. Covers with elaborate gilt tooling to a panel design with shamrock fleurons enclosing in the centre a blocked lozenge design, with brown leather onlays. Spine divided into five compartments by four raised bands, title in gilt direct in the second, the remainder decorated with gilt shamrocks; turn-ins ruled with double fillets and a floral roll; cream endpapers; cream and red endbands. All edges gilt. A fine copy.
A new edition of Moore's celebrated work first published in 1846, and one that his artist friend Maclise endeavoured to make a spectacular production, inventing decorative borders for all pages in addition to his numerous illustrations. The illustrious author of the Melodies gave eloquent expression to the delight he felt at seeing these records of his genius enshrined in lineaments as beautiful and imperishable as the songs themselves. By his treatment of illustrations and text as a unit, and the elaboration of detail, Maclise introduced into England the effects achieved by the German illustrators.

This is widely acknowledged to be Maclise's finest book.