London, W. Bowyer and J. Nichols for J. Dodsley, 1772.
8vo. (20.5 x 13 cm), xii + 402 pages. A fresh copy, with only the slightest browning, in a contemporary full leather binding (polished brown calf). A thin hole (1.5cm long) in the last leaf only of the text, not touching the print, but also visible in the rear end papers.
The binding worn on the corners and at the head and tail of the spine and the leather worn on the hinges (although the covers still firmly attached) , with some inoffensive patches of wear and discolouration on the boards. A piece of leather torn at the bottom of the front board and then stuck down with two pieces of leather lost. The spine with raised bands outlined in gold and the title added in black ink. The edges of the pages (when the book is closed) coloured red by the binder. £80
Mark Akenside rose from humble beginnings to considerable eminence in medicine and literature. He combines vivid reuse of classical mythology with an awareness of the scientific developments of the Enlightenment. His most famous work, The Pleasures of Imagination, is included in this handsome volume.