Birmingham : Da’ Torchi di G. Baskerville per P. Molini Libraio dell’ Accademia Reale, e G. Molini. 1773. 4 volumes 4to, Vol.1. [-]1, [-]2, a-g4, [-]1, A-Z4, Aa-Yy4, Zz2, (last leaf blank), portrait, plates 1-12 : Vol.2. [-]1, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Kkk4, Lll2, (last leaf blank), plates 13-23 : Vol.3. [-]1, A-Z4, aa-Zz4, Aaa-Kkk4 , (last leaf blank), plates 24-35 : Vol.4. [-]1, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Hhh4, Ff-Gg4, *4, ***4, ****4, *****1 (asterisks signed as per Gaskell), plates 36-46, the engraved plates by Cipirani, Cochin, Eisen, Moreau et al., a little light foxing on some plates and consequent offsetting, fine contemporary French red morocco, triple fillet borders, floral bouquet cornerpieces, fully gilt spines in 6 compartments with green morocco labels in compartments 2 and 3, marbled endpapers, a.e.g.

A fine copy of the quarto edition of Baskerville’s Ariosto (ten times rarer than the standard octavo edition). Apart from being in a very fine French red morocco binding the present copy has two other significant points of interest; it preserves the final blanks in vols.1-3, alluded to, but not seen, by Gaskell (q.v.) and, secondly, in Vol.3 at sig. Eee3+4 are preserved portions of deckle edges owing to the leaves being creased before coming under the binder’s guillotine. These confirm Gaskell’s measurements (page xvi) for an uncut page of 12 x 9 5/8 ins.
Cohen/de Ricci describes this quarto edition as ‘sur grand papier’ and says that it was limited to 100 copies, but we have found no confirmation of this number.

Gaskell : Baskerville Bibliography 48b Cohen/de Ricci col.95-7