GIBBON, EDWARD. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: For W. Strahan and T. Cadell 1776-1788. 6 vols., 4to, 275 x 214 mm. (10 3/16 x 8 7/16 in.), contemporary tree calf gilt, rebacked and with new red and black morocco labels, edges and corners repaired but corners worn, lacks half-titles, Rr 1-3 in vol. 1 stained, 4F1 in vol. 2 torn, some spotting and foxing. FIRST EDITION, Rothschild's second state of vol. 1 with leaves X4, a4 and b2 uncancelled and with the errata corrected as far as p. 183 in text and p. xv in the Notes, in vol. 3 p. 177 is correctly numbered and on p. 179, line 18 "Honorious" is so spelt; engraved portrait frontispiece by J. Hall after Reynolds, 3 folding engraved maps. Grolier English 58; PMM 222 ("This masterpiece of historical penetration and literary style has remained one of the ageless historical works..."); Rothschild 942-944.