WITH 36 VIVIDLY HAND-COLORED FOLIO AQUATINT PLATES OF EGYPT, PALESTINE, AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, 1821 FIRST ISSUE

WILLYAMS, Cooper. A Selection of Views in Egypt, Palestine, Rhodes, Italy, Minorca and Gibraltar. London: John Hearne, 1821. Folio (13 by 16-1/2 inches), contemporary black straight-grain morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

First edition, scarce first issue, with 36 vividly hand-colored aquatint views depicting land- and cityscapes throughout the Mediterranean, including Cairo, Alexandria, Caiffe, Rhodes, Mount Carmel, Syracuse, Lago, Minorca, Gibraltar, Mount Pelegrino, and the Rock of Scylla. An excellent copy in contemporary straight-grain morocco-gilt.

"In early life Willyams had imbibed a love of the sea, and in 1793 he started as chaplain of the Boyne to the West Indies, in the expedition under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Grey and Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis… He published in 1796, with illustrations, An Account of the Campaign in the West Indies… In 1798 he served as chaplain of the Swiftsure (Captain Hallowell), a vessel in the squadron under the command of Nelson. He was present in this vessel at the battle of the Nile, and his narrative, which was full of engravings from his own drawings, A Voyage up the Mediterranean in the Swiftsure (1802) contained 'the first, the most particular, and the most authentic account of the battle'" (DNB). Issued posthumously 20 years later, this selection contains 32 of the 43 plates from the Voyage, some slightly reworked, and an additional four plates published here for the first time. It contains views of Egypt, Palestine, Rhodes, Italy, Minorca, and Gibraltar, with accompanying descriptions in English and French. This first issue dated 1821 is significantly scarcer than the 1822 edition, which is commonly found in the bibliographies. Watermarks dated 1820. Abbey Travel 198 (1822 second issue). Blackmer 1814. Tooley 511. Weber 1114. Hilmy II, 335. Large ink presentation inscription from Admiral Benjamin William Page (1765-1845) dated 1843 to title page, with armorial bookplate of "Admiral & Mrs. Page." Page had a busy career at sea from 1778 to 1815, largely in the East Indies and the Far East, escorting trade ships and combating privateers. After 1815 Page had no further service afloat, but became, in course of seniority, rear-admiral in 1819, vice-admiral in 1830, and admiral in 1841. He and his wife Elizabeth (d. 1834) had no children.

Plates vividly and finely hand-colored, in beautiful contemporary morocco-gilt. A superb copy of the scarce first issue.