History of England by Rapin de Thoyras in 10 volumes, 18th century

Period: Early 18th century
Provenance: Private Burgundian collection
Dimension: 26×21
Price: 1200 euros for 10 volumes

Rare complete copy of the 10 folio volumes of the History of England by Paul de Rapin de Thoyras , a French Protestant historian who took refuge in England, published in French in The Hague between 1733 and 1737. This monumental work remains one of the first great modern historical syntheses on England, intended for a continental readership.

Published by Chrétien Van Lom, Jean Van Duren, Pierre de Ho ndt, printers-booksellers, with the privilege of the States of Holland and West-Friesland.
Volume I has a different title page from the following volumes. It contains four large original folding plates, representing historical scenes, views or maps.
Volumes II to X all have a uniform title page, typographed in red and black, as illustrated here with volume IX , and cover events up to the beginning of the 18th century.

The work covers the history of England from its origins to the reign of George I.
Volume IX , for example, deals with the interregnum, Cromwell's Republic, and the restoration of the Stuarts with Charles II.
Each volume contains numerous banners, initials, tailpieces and sometimes maps or engravings.
Good overall condition. Period calfskin bindings, headcaps and corners sometimes rubbed, some foxing. The folding plates of volume I are present , in good condition, with some creases from use. Pages generally clean and legible.
Old handwritten annotations on the title page (“ex libris”, notations in Latin), adding a historical and bibliophilic dimension to this copy.

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Rapin's work was widely used as a historical reference in the 18th century, notably by Voltaire and enlightened historians. It constitutes a valuable source on English political developments: monarchy, parliamentarianism, revolutions, restoration, etc.