viii, 462 pp. Illustrated with 80 wood-engraved vignettes printed in colors, within the text, by Edmund Evans after illustrations by James E. Doyle; plus a color woodcut vignette of a Medallion of Julius Cæsar on page 1; a few woodcut initials printed in red. 10½x7¾, period full straight-grain green morocco, front and rear boards decoratively ruled in gilt, spine decoratively tooled in gilt and with 4 small red morocco onlays tooled in gilt, raised bands tooled in gilt, inner gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. First Edition.
The color woodcuts show scenes from English history, battles, Kings, outdoor excursions by foot and boat, knights and squires in full attire, and other people of royalty. A Chronicle of England "is the largest book Evans produced, and the last he printed on a hand press…contains…vivid pictures…of scenes in mediaeval history which are printed in up to ten colours to represent the picturesque pageantry of the times…[and] Evans’s beautiful printing and the richly embossed and gilded armorial binding make this an attractive book" - Eric de Maré, The Victorian Woodblock Illustrators, pp. 157-158; Ray, The Illustrator and the Book in England, 241.
Condition:
Front board detached, light edge wear, corners bumped, a few minor rub marks to boards; front free endpaper to half-title page loose, rest of contents fine, images bright and clean; still a very good and attractive copy.