Small 4to. FIRST EDITION. One of the first references to Benjamin Franklin in a book for children, also the only known illustration of a bookbinder. Contemporary half brown roan over marbled boards, raised spine with gilt title labels, and four gilt inlay compartments, tear on text leaf of plate 12, red edges. Crown and monogram letter 'C' in gilt to upper board. With 36 unnumbered leaves and 15 copperplate engraved plates, including 12 in contemporary hand water colouring. Educational book, containing a description of a bookbinder with a plate depicting his workshop and his tools, and a short notice on Benjamin Franklin, with a portrait, sometime after the American War of Independence. The text is given in German, French, Italian, and English. Coloured plates in order: Plants I. 1. (a) Cyclamen europaeum / The Frittulary (b) Euphorbia platyphyllos / The broad-leaved Wolfs-Milk (c) The Agamemnon / Butterfly. Sucking Animals I. 2. (a) Cervus Capreolus / The Roe-buck (b) Sus scrosa / The common wild Boar (c) Lepus cuniculus / The Rabbit (d) Lepus minutus / The Dwarf-Hare (e) Sciurus Vulgaris / The common Squirrel (f) Mus Marmotta / The Alpine Marmot. Of Nations and heathen Deities I. 3. (a) A Queen of Siam (Thailand) (b) A King of Ava (c) Apollo (uncoloured) (d) Diana (uncoloured). Handycrafts I. 4. The Bookbinder and the various tools of the trade. Plants II. 5. Plants and Insects. Of Nations and heathen Deities II. 6. (a) Progress of the Emperor of China (b) Juno (uncoloured) (c) Venus (uncoloured). Of Birds. 7. The white-tailed Eagle. Handycrafts II. 8. Starchmaking. Sucking Animals II. 9. The Sanglin or Striated ape. Nations and Deities III. 10. (a) Jupiter (uncoloured) (b) Mercury (uncoloured) (c) [2] Chinese soldiers (d) A Corean. Fabrics and handycrafts III. 11. Of the gathering and preparing of the cotton-wos! Natural curiosities. 12. The cave of Fingal in Staffa.