The British Essayists; with Prefaces Biographical, Historical, and Critical

A near-complete set of 'The British Essayists', comprising a wide range of writings from publications including Tatler, Spectator and The Rambler. Comprising forty-four out of the forty-five volumes that make this collection. Lacking Volume XLV.Uniformly bound in half calf, with marbled paper covered boards. With a portrait frontispiece to Vol I, Vol VI, Vol XVI, Vol XIX, Vol XXIII, Vol XXVI, Vol XXX,Vol XIX is taken from an 1808 edition of 'British Essayists' edited by Alexander Chalmers.Edited with biographical, historical and critical notes by Rev. Lionel Thomas Berguer who, according to his author credit to the title pages, was a 'Fellow Extraordinary of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh'.Offering an impressive range of writings on topics including, but not limited to, 'Cure for Fits in Married Ladies', 'Discoveries of the Microscope', 'Female Beauty - Characters of various Beauties', 'Criticism on Paradise Lost', 'On Vulgar Phrases', 'The Various Arts of Self-Delusion' and 'On Cruelty to Animals'.Tatler, Spectator and Guardian largely comprises the works of from Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele; Rambler largely comprises the works of Samuel Johnson; Adventurer largely comprises the works of John Hawkesworth and Richard Bathurst; World comprises the works of various, including Moore, Walpole, Lord Chesterfield and unknown writers; Connoisseur largely from George Colman and Bonnell Thornton; Idler from Samuel Johnson, Joshua Reynolds and unknown writers; Mirror and Lounger from the works of Alexander Mackenzie, George Bannatyne, Alexander Abercromby and others; Observer from Richard Cumberland; Olla Podrida edited by Thomas Monro; Lucubrations, or Winter Evenings from Vicesimus Knox.Vol I: Tatler No. 1-37Vol II: Tatler No. 38-84Vol III: Tatler No. 85-144Vol IV: Tatler No. 145-209Vol V: Tatler No. 210-271Vol VI: Spectator No. 1-61Vol VII: Spectator No. 62-131Vol VIII: Spectator No. 132-194Vol IX: Spectator No. 195-253Vol X: Spectator No. 254-310Vol XI: Spectator No. 311-380Vol XII: Spectator No. 381-452Vol XIII: Spectator No. 453-514Vol XIV: Spectator No. 515-566Vol XV: Spectator No. 567-635Vol XVI: Guardian No. 1-53Vol XVII: Guardian No. 55-122Vol XVIII: Guardian No. 123-176Vol XIX (from Alexander Chalmer's 1808 edition) - Rambler No. 1-53Vol XX: Rambler No. 54-106Vol XXI: Rambler No. 107-159Vol XXII: Rambler No. 160-208Vol XXIII: Adventurer No. 1-41Vol XXIV: Adventurer No. 42-91Vol XXV: Adventurer No. 92-140Vol XXVI: World No. 1-52Vol XXVII: World No. 53-104Vol XXVIII: World No. 105-156Vol XXIX: World No. 157-209, and Extra WorldVol XXX: Connoisseur No. 1-46Vol XXXI: Connoisseur No. 47-93Vol XXXII: Connoisseur No. 94-140Vol XXXIII: Idler No. 1-103Vol XXXIV: Mirror No. 1-56Vol XXXV: Mirror No. 57-110Vol XXXVI: Lounger No. 1-51Vol XXXVII: Lounger No. 52-101Vol XXXVIII: Observer No. 1-51Vol XXXIX: Observer No. 52-108Vol XL: Observer No. 109-152Vol XLI: Olla Podrida No. 1-44Vol XLII: Lucubrations, or Winter Evenings No. 1-40Vol XLIII: Lucubrations, or Winter Evenings 41-92Vol XLIV: Lucubrations, or Winter Evenings93-149 Uniformly bound in half calf, with marbled paper covered boards.Externally, extremities are quite worn to varying degrees across the set. With notable losses to the spines of Vols VI, X, XV, XVI, XXXII, and XXXIV. With back strip to Vol XXV coming away. Scuffs to the boards. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean with the spotting largely concentrated to the endpapers. Offsetting to title pages with frontispieces. Fair.…