WARE, Sir James [and HARRIS, Walter]. The Whole Works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland, Revised and improved. In Two Volumes.ONE OF SIX LARGE PAPER COPIES THE GOSFORD AND WILLIAM O’BRIEN COPY

Vol. I. Containing the History of the Bishops of that Kingdom and such matters Ecclesiastical and Civil, in which they were concerned, from the first Propagation of Christianity therein to the present Time. Illustrated with Views of the Cathedral Churches, engraven on Seventeen large Copper-Plates. Vol. II. The History and Antiquities of Ireland, illustrated with Cuts of Ancient Medals, Urns, &c., also, the Canons, Nuns, Templars, Monks, Friars, and Hermits, in their proper Dresses: Engraven on Twentyone large Copper-plates. Also, The History of The Writers of Ireland, in Two parts, viz. I. Such Writers who were born in that Kingdom, and, II. Such who, though Foreigners, enjoyed Preferments or Offices there, or had their Education in it; with an Account of all the Works they published. Written in Latin by Sir James Ware, Knight; now newly translated into English, revised and improved with many material Additions; and continued down to the Beginning of the present Century. Printed and Sold by E. Jones in Clarendon-street. Printed by S. Powell for the Author and Printed by A. Reilly, for the Author, 1739/1746. Large folio. Large paper copy (260 x 384mm). pp. (1) [xvi], 660, 16 (index), (2) [x], 284, 4 (index), (3) [iv], 363, 5 (index). Three separate titlepages. Bound by C. Lewis in contemporary full diced russia. Spine divided into six panels by five gilt raised bands, title, author and volume number in gilt direct in the second and third, the remainder tooled in gilt to a centre-and-corner design. Red, gold and blue double endbands; board edges and turn-ins tooled in gilt; splash-marbled endpapers. Arms of Earl of Gosford in gilt on upper covers. Spines expertly rebacked preserving original backstrip. Note in ink attached to front free endpaper states: “Very fine copy on Large Paper / on which some say only six copies were printed - The Plates / of Monks, Friars etc are not / Inlaid, as in Mr. Grenville’s copy.” Ex libris William O’Brien Milltown Park Trust with bookplates and neat stamp. Some early marginal notes. With list of subscribers in both volumes. All edges gilt. A very good set of the extremely rare large paper edition.
Provenance: The Gosford copy. Archibald Acheson (1806 -1864), 3rd Earl of Gosford was the only son of Archibald, 2nd Earl of Gosford and Mary only daughter of Robert Sparrow Esq of Worlingham Hall, Suffolk. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he took his B.A. in 1828, was Colonel of the Armagh Militia and married Theodosia Brabazon, only daughter of the Earl of Meath. His library was sold en bloc in 1878 to the London bookseller, James Toovey, and it was consigned by him to London Auctioneers Puttick and Simpson 21 April 1884.

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