MARSHALL’S LIFE OF WASHINGTON: THE “BEST” ENGLISH EDITION, IN FIVE QUARTO VOLUMES, WITH FOLDING MAPS AND PLATES

(WASHINGTON, George) MARSHALL, John. The Life of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the American Forces. London: Richard Phillips, 1804-07. Five volumes. Thick quarto, contemporary full brown diced and blind-tooled calf gilt, Volumes IV and V rebacked with original blind-tooled spines laid down, raised bands, marbled endpapers and edges.

First English edition (quarto issue) of Marshall’s classic life of Washington, called the “best edition” by Howes and published in the same years as the American first. Complete with three frontispieces (Stuart’s portrait of Washington and two views), engraved tailpiece in Volume III, and 12 maps (most folding).

Shortly after Marshall became Chief Justice he was approached by Washington’s nephew, Bushrod, to write the first President’s official biography. Probably no man was better suited to the task. As a personal friend of Washington, Marshall had been the one to announce the President’s death in 1799, had offered the eulogy, had chaired the committee that arranged the funeral rites, and had led the commission to plan a monument in the capital city. When Marshall’s Life of Washington appeared, it was considered so authoritative that Washington scholar Jared Sparks suggested any new biographical undertaking would be “presumptuous” (Sparks, Washington I:12). This first English edition was typeset from manuscripts “received from America in the course of the Autumn [1804 and later].” It, together with the American first edition of the same years, are “the only complete editions of this indispensable work, the ‘Colonial History’ being omitted in the later American editions” (Sabin). Gilbert Stuart’s famous portrait of Washington, made known to the British public through this engraved frontispiece, was executed by Royal engraver James Fittler. The 12 engraved maps (most folding) depict Boston, New York Island, the engagement on White Plains, New Jersey, the northern wilderness, Rhode Island, Charleston, and the siege of Charleston. Howes M317. Sabin 44788.

Interiors generally fine with only a bit of occasional scattered light foxing; contemporary diced calf handsome, with minor expert restoration to extremities. A most desirable about-fine copy.