1791 – History of France by John Gifford | Illustrated with Portraits of French Kings

The History of France: From the Earliest Times, to the Present Important Era by John Gifford was an English history of France, first published during the French Revolution in Paris. This extensive history was based on the writings of French historians such as Velly, Villaret, and Mezeray. Gifford seemingly left no early French figure out with descriptions of the earliest rulers such as Pharamond, Clovis, and Clodian as well as the reigns of Charles the Bald, Hugh Capet, and of course Charlemagne. It includes an extensive section on Louis XIV which takes up most of the final volume of the work.

While the content is certainly important, the dozens of full-page engravings throughout make this huge set quite desirable for any collector.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The History of France: From the Earliest Times, to the Present Important Era
• Author(s): John Gifford
• Contributor(s): Velly, Villaret, Garnier, Mezeray, Daniel (source material)
• Publisher: London: Printed by C. Lowndes
• Edition: First edition, 1791–1793
• Binding: Full leather
• Format: (4to), four-volume set
• Size:  10.25 in x 8.5 in (26 cm x 21.6 cm)
• Collation:
  • Vol. 1: vi, [1], 8–586, [18] pp.,
  • Vol. 2: 652, [16] pp.,
  • Vol. 3: 652, [12] pp.,
  • Vol. 4: 718, [26] pp.,
• Illustrations: 50 engraved plates
• Contents Include:
  • Earliest rulers of France: Pharamond, Clodian, Clovis, Charlemagne
  • Reign of Charles the Bald
  • Rise of Hugh Capet
  • Louis VII campaigns against the Saracens
  • Long section on Louis XIV
  • France in the 1770 prior to the Revolution
• Provenance: bookplate – Sir James Gordon Bar. Of Letterfoury
  • Sir James Gordon of Letterfourie was a member of the Scottish landed gentry tied to the estate of Letterfourie in Moray (or Sutherland). James represents one of the last generations in his family to actively hold the hereditary title from that branch.

Condition:

Very Good. Full leather bindings show mild rubbing to corners and edges. Spines remain firm with raised bands intact. Pages are clean and bright with little to no toning. Plates are present and well struck.

Why Collect This?

• Printed in England during the French Revolution
• Illustrated with dozens of full-page engravings and portraits
• Representative of English historiography on France

Item Number: # 29757