3 volumes, including the two supplemental volumes by John Stevens. xvi, 375, [9]; [xii], 538, [2]; [2], 279, 388, [6] pp. Title pages printed in red and black. With one engraved title and 154 engraved plates including 28 double-page and 1 folding. (folio) 44.5x27 cm (17½x10¾"), period full red morocco ruled in gilt, spines tooled in gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, gilt inner dentelles, all edges gilt.
A beautiful, large paper set of the first abridged edition of this magnificent work on English churches and religious orders, profusely illustrated with views of the churches and the habits of the various orders of monks and nuns. Collations are haphazard for this set, with copies at auction recorded with 140-150 plates; this copy has 154 and is quite complete. Lowndes notes: “An excellent epitome” and calls for 151 plates, giving a full collation of all the plates and erratic pagination. The difference may be attributable to not counting some double-page plates. From the collections of MacCarthy-Reagh, Duc de Noailles, Rosebery, Lynde, McLaughlin, and Bernard Breslauer; Jonathan Hill cat. 200 #228 (sold to a private collector, CA).