The Life and Times of Louis the Fourteenth

London: Richard Bentley, 1839. Cloth. Good Only. 9" by 6". Not Stated. A comprehensive biography of the Sun King, Louis the Fourteenth, unusual in a complete four volume set. A four volume set in the publisher's original cloth bindings, with Louis the Fourteenth's coat-of-arms gilt stamped to the front boards. Binder's label to the front paste down of Volume I. Frontispieces to all volumes. George Payne Rainsford James (1799-1860), was an English novelist and historical writer who held the honorary office of British Historiographer Royal during the last years of William IV's reign. This is his biography of King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, with an exploration of his era. He was one of the most powerful and certainly one of the longest reigning monarchs in Europe. Significant and influential achievements were made during his reign, such as the construction of the Canal du Midi, the patronage of artists, and the founding of the French Academy of Sciences. This biography is very scarce as a complete four volume set. In the publisher's original cloth bindings. Externally sound, with some spotting and light marks to the boards of all volumes. Extremities are a little bumped, and there is a very small tear to the spine of Vol I. The hinges to all volumes are tender, particularly to Vol III and IV, the boards of which are starting to detach. The bindings to all are somewhat strained, particularly to Vol IV, in which pages 400 to 433 are starting to detach. The rest of the bindings remain reasonably firm. Pages are generally bright and clean, though with some spotting to the plates and offsetting to the title pages. Good Only