The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and Applied to the Christian State and Worship.

FINE BINDING, English. - Isaac WATTS (1674-1748).

The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and Applied to the Christian State and Worship ... The Thirty-first Edition. London: printed for H. Woodfall, J. Buckland [etc.], 1769.  12mo (4 3/4 x 3ins; 120 x 76mm). Pp. [i-]iv-viii; [1-]2-304; [i-xxii]. (The foot of the title shaved with partial loss to the imprint [see images], a few other leaves close-shaved.) Contemporary English red morocco gilt, the covers with an elaborate 'cottage-roof' style design built up using rolls, rules and small tools, spine in five compartments with raised bands, with repeat pattern in each compartment, marbled endpapers, gilt edges (small chip to head of spine, light scuffing to extremities, sealing wax to verso of front free endpaper). Provenance: early erased signature to verso of front free endpaper; ‘Mr. Suggate (19th-century inscription, dated on St. Valentine’s Day 1880 and referencing an underlined passage on p.25 ‘Their Slanders never cease’).

A fine late example of a style of binding that remained in vogue (for religious works and almanacks in particular) for over a century. The present binding remains anonymous, but the Mearnes were were long-considered the greatest proponents of this style – so-called because of the supposed resemblance of part of the design to a cottage roof.

For other examples, see https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/bookbindings/Results.aspx