HANS SLOANE JUNIOR’S COPIES - The History of the Life of M Tullius Cicero in Three Volumes

Attractive contemporary full calf, red speckled edges in very good condition. Pencil casemark above each bookplate and an earlier casemark in red ink crossed through in pencil. Volume I has 18th century notes in a mixture of pencil and ink to the final pastedown including ‘Roscius’s profits as an Actor £5000 58’ and interestingly a comment on ancient slavery: ‘Crassus raised a great income by letting out his Slaves who were artificers in all sorts of work - 78 - ’. Volume II has annotation in the same hand opposite the final printed page Volume III, a small patch of worm damage at the tail of the front pastedown and first few gatherings. Annotation limited to a single pencilled comment opposite the final leaf of the index; this leaf has a closed tear with a little loss of the lower, outer corner. A very attractive set with good provenance.

A lawyer and MP Hans Sloane (14 November 1739 – 1827), later called Hans Sloane-Stanley, was a politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1806, born on 14 November 1739 at South Stoneham, Hampshire. He was educated at Newcome's School, Trinity College, Cambridge and the Inner Temple. This biography of Cicero was edited by Conyers Middleton (1683-1750), Cambridge University Librarian.