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FRANKLIN, Benjamin (printer) - Marcus Tullius CICE

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Philadelphia: B. Franklin, 1744. Small 4to (200 x 140 mm). Title printed in red and black, typographical ornaments throughout. Contemporary polished calf, spine ruled with gilt double filet, and with morocco gilt lettering piece, blind roll along board edges. Housed in a cloth chemise and full burgundy morocco slipcase. Condition: light discoloration to the front free endpaper, short tear in the lower margin of A1, bookplate removed from the front pastedown, early owner's ink annotation to the imprint ("His Excellency [B. Franklin], Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the Court of Versailles 1783"); minor splitting along the front joint, else minor wear. a handsome copy of franklin's most acclaimed typographical work. "Only once did [Franklin] publish an original, full-sized book at his own expense, James Logan's translation of Cicero's Cato Major. He printed it in large type on creamy paper to flatter the Quaker grandee and to show off his own prowess as a printer" (Benjamin Franklin In Search of a Better World, p. 79). This wide-margined copy with the typographical error "ony" corrected to "only" on page 27, line 5. A pleasing, unsophisticated copy of a book often found rebound or in poor condition. Church 949; Evans 5361; Hildeburn 868; Miller 347; Sabin 13040.

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