The Dreamer

London: W. Owen, 1754. First Edition. Full Leather. Very Good Minus/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. N/a. 240, xxviii (index) 14pp (advertisement by the bookseller), 2pp. (ads. by printer W. Owen). A scarce first edition A very good minus copy bound in contemporaneous full leather. 5 raised bands to the spine. A footnote on pages 81-89 includes "The Answer, by Dr. Swift", a poem described as "never published in any edition of the Dean's works" so an important book to any Swift collector. A pencil inscription (could be erased) to the front paste-down by a former book seller states:'A series of Dreams forming an indirect satire on the abuses of religion, literature and the learned professions' by W. King, D.D. Very Scarce'. No half title page. Significant splitting to both the front and rear boards but both remain firmly holding - each on the three original binding cords. A worm hole (maximum dimensions 8mm x 4mm) to the front endpaper, the title page and less so to the contents page - no loss of text - the hole lying between the 'the' of the title and 'dreamer'. Some toning to the margins of the endpapers to include the title page and the contents page. A little soiling and spotting to the endpapers but most of the textblock remains very clean and tight. Missing the title block to the spine. Notable rubbing to the front joint, to the head and tail of the spine and to the corners with some loss of leather. A very good minus copy of this scarce publication bound in contemporary full leather, which has been recently 'fed with a preservative leather dressing.