The Works of Arthur Murphy, Esq.

London: T. Cadell, 1786. Leather bound. Fair. 7 vols.: vol. 1: xiii, 404; vol. 2: 334; vol. 3: 438; vol. 4: 424; vol. 5: 452; vol. 6: 452; vol. 7: 376 p. 22 cm. Engraved portrait frontispiece beginning of volume 1. Half leather with marbled boards. Hinges cracking, corners worn. Most spines chipped. Volume 3's boards loose. Front board detached on volume 4. Volume 5's rear board missing. Volume 7's front board is detached and rear board missing. Front pastedowns have former owner's label as well as slight label residue below. Ink signatures of owner on front endpapers and first volume has some pencil notations. Some foxing and minor tears or chips within. Volume 1 has dampness stains on bottom corners of pages 155-190. Volume 3 has stains on 297, 301, 307, 321, 327. Front endpaper torn on volume 4. Volume 5 has dark stains on bottom corners throughout second half of text and chip from rear marbled endpaper.

Arthur Murphy (1727 – 1805), also known by the pseudonym Charles Ranger, was an Irish barrister, journalist, actor, and playwright, who edited "Gray's Inn Journal" between 1752 and 1754. Murphy is best known for his biographies of Henry Fielding, Samuel Johnson and David Garrick. But his humorous farces such as "The Citizen" (found in volume 2) may appeal more to most readers today. The contents of each volume are located at its beginning; the set contains mainly plays, "Gray's-Inn Journal" and poetry. Beautiful marbled boards, endpapers and text block edges.