MID-18TH CENTURY CAMBRIDGE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER IN BEAUTIFUL GEORGE II BINDING

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. The Book of Common Prayer… London: Thomas Baskett… and the assigns of Robert Baskett, 1754. Tall folio (10-1/2 by 16-1/2 inches), full contemporary dark green morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine with crowned monogram of George II in compartments, covers with elaborately gilt-tooled borders and gilt centerpiece featuring the arms of King George II, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, evidence of silk ties. $9250.

Splendid folio Baskett edition of the Book of Common Prayer in a beautiful armorial George II binding, with broad gilt-tooled borders, elaborate royal cypher in spine panels and splendid gilt centerpiece on each cover featuring the arms of King George II, with fine engraved frontispiece depicting St. Paul’s Cathedral, by J. Mynde, and text hand-ruled in red throughout.

Born of Thomas Cranmer's desire for liturgical texts upon which all of Europe's Protestant, English-speaking churches could agree, the Book of Common Prayer, first issued in 1549, with its magisterial liturgical language is, "as a source of spiritual inspiration… for most Englishmen second only to the Bible" (PMM 75). This finely printed London edition—set in large type with wide margins and hand-ruled in red throughout—boasts an impressive royal binding bearing the gilt monogram and crown device of King George II in the spine compartments and his gilt embossed armorial design on both boards, within an ornate floral border. Griffiths 1754:1. Bookplate; 19th-century owner ink signature.

Text clean and fine; evidence of silk ties, corners gently bumped, a few minor rubs to boards, gilt bright. A fine and magnificent volume.