Full title: An Epitome Historical and Statistical Descriptive of the Royal Naval Service of England. By... With the Assistance of Lieutenant Lawford Miles R.N. Embellished with Eight Highly-finished Coloured Engraved Views of Shipping by W. Knell Besides Fourteen Coloured Illustrations of the Flags Pendants and Ensigns as Worn by Her Majesty's Ships and Vessels in Commission.) Octavo (233 × 149 mm) later crushed black morocco by Morell; title gilt to spine with fouled anchor and reef-knot devices; gilt to the compartments. French fillet gilt to the boards; inner gilt dentelles; dove grey endpapers; all edges gilt. Eight coloured aquatints, fourteen hand-coloured illustrations of flags in the text series of near-contemporary clippings from Cassell's Illustrated Paper relating ships and shipping mounted on blank leaves at the end. Joints rubbed and just starting head and tail of spine scuffed light toning an excellent copy. FIRST EDITION. Spirited plates with wonderful colouring engraved by Newton-Smith Fielding after William Adolphus Knell. Knell had initially worked in the popular Dutch seventeenth-century marine style in mid-career, he shifted to an English manner to maintain his market share. The results were lighter and less heavy-handed pictures marked by translucent seas and broader handling in the skies. He specialized in coastal scenes of England, France, and the Low Countries. Coloured plates in order: 1. Frontispiece. A Sloop of War Ship (New Class). 18 Guns as Vesta &c. 2. A First-Rate (new Class) Line-of-Battle Ship. 110 Guns as the Queen &c. 3. A Second Rate (New Class) Line-of-Battle Ship. 92 Guns as Rodney &c. 4. Large Frigate (New Class) of 50 Guns as Vernon &c. 5. A Frigate (New Class) of 36 Guns as Pique &c. 6. A Sloop of War Brig (New Class). 16 Guns as Pilot &c. 7. Man-of-War Schooner (New Class). 6 Guns. 8. A Man of War Cutter of 10 Guns as Bramble &c. Flags, Pendants, Ensigns. 9. The Royal Standard. 10. Flag of the Lord High Admiral. 11. Flag of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. 12. The Union Jack. Flag of the Admiral of the Fleet. 13. Flag of the Red Squadron. 14. Flag of the White Squadron. 15. Flag of the Blue Squadron. 16. Red Pendant. 17. White Pendant. 18. Blue Pendant. 19. The Pendant of any Ship or Vessel. 20. Ensign of the Red Flag. 21. Ensign of the White Flag. 22. Ensign of the Blue Flag.