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REPTON, Humphry & John Adey. Fragments on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening. Including some remarks on Grecian and Gothic Architecture. London: T.Bensley & Son for J.Taylor, 1816.
4° (351 x 287mm). 43 plates (one wood-engraved and letterpress plan, 22 hand-coloured aquatints (three double-page, nine with overslips), eight tinted aquatints (one with overslip), 12 aquatints (three with overslips)), 27 illustrations (nine aquatint (two with overslips), 18 wood-engraved). (Without half-title.) Contemporary half russia gilt (neatly rebacked, old spine laid down, lower joint split, the upper lightly scuffed). Provenance: WILLIAM BECKFORD of Fonthill (1p. pencilled manuscript comments on front free endpaper).
FIRST EDITION WITH A DISTINGUISHED PROVENANCE. Beckford's heavily ironic remarks conclude: "Finally.. Mr Repton enjoys the reward of his transcendent abilities at his villa in Hare Street as placidly as certain spasms with which we are informed he is afflicted will allow him -- There, in view of a high road, a Sign post & a Butcher's shop, partially concealed by trellice work embroidered with roses, he rests from his Labours, Labours which he appears convinced were objects of primary & national importance, bearing the twitches of an acute & alas incurable disease with resignation and fortitude & expecting his final doom not perhaps without a sort of vague & pleasing hope of being applied to in the next world to improve & tasteify the bowers of Paradise." Beckford's copy of Repton's Observations... (1803), probably uniformly bound with the present work ('contemporary half russia gilt'), was sold at Sotheby's in October 1975. Abbey Scenery 391; Tooley 398.
4° (351 x 287mm). 43 plates (one wood-engraved and letterpress plan, 22 hand-coloured aquatints (three double-page, nine with overslips), eight tinted aquatints (one with overslip), 12 aquatints (three with overslips)), 27 illustrations (nine aquatint (two with overslips), 18 wood-engraved). (Without half-title.) Contemporary half russia gilt (neatly rebacked, old spine laid down, lower joint split, the upper lightly scuffed). Provenance: WILLIAM BECKFORD of Fonthill (1p. pencilled manuscript comments on front free endpaper).
FIRST EDITION WITH A DISTINGUISHED PROVENANCE. Beckford's heavily ironic remarks conclude: "Finally.. Mr Repton enjoys the reward of his transcendent abilities at his villa in Hare Street as placidly as certain spasms with which we are informed he is afflicted will allow him -- There, in view of a high road, a Sign post & a Butcher's shop, partially concealed by trellice work embroidered with roses, he rests from his Labours, Labours which he appears convinced were objects of primary & national importance, bearing the twitches of an acute & alas incurable disease with resignation and fortitude & expecting his final doom not perhaps without a sort of vague & pleasing hope of being applied to in the next world to improve & tasteify the bowers of Paradise." Beckford's copy of Repton's Observations... (1803), probably uniformly bound with the present work ('contemporary half russia gilt'), was sold at Sotheby's in October 1975. Abbey Scenery 391; Tooley 398.