SPENCE, [Joseph] Rev. Mr. A Parallel; in the manner of Plutarch : Between a most celebrated Man of Florence; and One, scarce ever heard of, in England.

Printed at Strawberry-Hill, Twickenham, by William Robinson; and Sold by Messeurs Dodsley, at Tully’s Head, Pall-Mall; For the benefit of Mr. Hill, 1758. pp. 104. First edition. Small octavo. With an engraved portrait medallion of Magliabechi on the titlepage. Finely and recently bound in full antique calf, title in gilt on green morocco label on spine. A very a nice copy.
ESTC T43634. Hazen 6. Rothschild 1942. Lowndes 2475.
Includes bibliographical references. Hazen notes that Walpole had only 700 copies printed of this first edition, and 600 of those copies were sold within a fortnight: “2 February 1759. I published Mr. Spence’s Parallel of Magliabechi and Mr. Hill, a tailor of Buckingham; calculated to raise a little sum of money for the latter poor man. Six hundred copies were sold in a fortnight, and it was reprinted in London.” - Walpole.
The celebrated man of Florence was Magliabechi and the “one, scarce ever heard of” was a poor tailor of Buckingham, Robert Hill.

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