Hardcover. Large 4to. Large paper edition. Very Good. Hand-coloured copperplates (72) by Strutt from medieval manuscripts; 3/4 gilt calf (tips rubbed, with new inner cloth hinges, reinforced corners, front joint rubbed, spine rubbed); top edge gilt (iv)152 pages; Heraldic bookplate of W. Bickford-Smith. A lovely, clean, well coloured copy. Superb plates that reproduce portraits of English monarchs from illuminated MS. Reproductions of costumes, arms, seals, and other interesting objects peculiar to English monarchs. Work was first published in 1773; this 'new and improved edition was issued with uncoloured and coloured plates; and of those coloured plates, a few were heightened in gold, as in this example. *Ron Norman of Hartlepool carried out rebinding and restoration work on this book. (Ronnorm@aol.com)* Coloured plates in order: 1. Frontispiece. 2. King Edgar. 3. Edward the Confessor. 4. Harold and William the Conqueror. 5. William Rufus. 6. Henry I. 7. Stephen. 8. Henry II. 9. Henry II and Thomas Becket. 10. The murder of Thomas Becket. 11. Richard I. 12. John. 13. Henry III. 14. Edward I. 15. Edward II. 16. Edward III, and Prince Edward. 17. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. 18. Coronation of Richard II. 19. The Coronation of his Queen, Anne of Bohemia. 20. King Richard II. 21. [Gascoigne knight] 22. The Knighting of Henry, son to the Duke of Lancaster. 23. Interview with Mac Murrough. 24. The Archbishop of Canterbury preaching to the people. 25. King Richard with his friends at Conway [Castle]. 26. The Embassy of King Richard was sent to the Duke of Lancaster. 27. The interview with Duke Henry. 28. Interview between the Earl of Northumberland and King Richard. 29. The accord between the Earl of Northumberland and King Richard. 30. The King betrayed. 31. Interview between the Duke of Lancaster and King Richard. 32. King Richard conveyed to London. 33. King Richard resigns his Crown and State. 34. The Parliament in which Lancaster was elected King. 35. Queen Matilda. 36. Joan, Princess of Wales, & Constance, Queen of Castille. 37. Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk. 38. [Geoffrey] Chaucer. 39. Coronation of Henry IV. 40. King Henry IV and his Court. 41. Henry V. 42. King Henry VI and his parliament at Bury. 43. King henry VI, and Lidgate. 44. Henry VI, and his Court. 45. Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick &c., and Humphry, Duke of Glocester, &c. 46. The Earl of Salisbury and Lidgate. 47. King Edward IV. 48. Edward IV, his Queen, and son, &c. 49. Richard III, &c. 50. King Henry VII. 51. Confirmation of the Deeds of Alms. 52. Henry I. 53. King John. 54. Edward III, and David, King of Scotland. 55. John, King of France. 56. Geoffrey de Lucy, and Mary de St. Paul. 57. John Gower. 58. Duel before the King. 59. Robert Chamberleyn. 60. Thomas Ramryge, Abbot of St. Albans. Supplement. 61. Plate 1. St. Ursula and her virgin companions on board ship. Plate 2. Their martyrdom. Plate 3. The martyrdom of St. Alban. 62. Plate 1. Condemnation of Edmund, King of the East Angles. Plate 2. Death of King Edmund. Plate 3. The ancient mode of administering the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 63. Plate 1. Oswald, King of Northumberland, with his army. Plate 2. Battle of Maserfield. Plate 3. One of the fabulous miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary. 64. Plate 1. Cenelm, King of Mercia, hunting. Plate 2. Regicides throwing the dead body of the King into a pit. Plate 3. The ancient habits of the Abbess, the Nun, and the Anchorite. 65. Plate 1. Edward the Martyr and his attendants hunting. Plate 2. The manner in which the Prince was basely assassinated. Plate 3 Part of the life and transactions of Thomas Becket. 66. Plate 1 The Baptismal Ceremony. Plate 2. The solemnization of the nuptials between Gilbert Becket and his lady. Plate 3. Thomas Becket, soon after his birth, wrapped in swaddling clothes. 67. Plate 1. Receiving from King Henry the Second, a letter sealed with a royal signet, constituting him Chancellor of England. Plate 2. Promoted to the See of Canterbury in 1163. Plate 3. Approaching the royal presence, openly expressing the disapprobation of the King's conduct. 68. Plate 1. Onboard ship, fleeing towards Flanders. Plate 2. The King incensed at Becket's departure, seizing all his possessions, banishing all his relations and family from the kingdom. Plate 3. The relations of Becket fleeing England by ship to Flanders. 69. Plate 1. The banished relations landing in Flanders. Plate 2. The interview between the Archbishop and his friends. Plate 3. The Archbishop's interview with The Pope. 70. Plate 1. The Archbishop seated at the Pope's right hand. Plate 2. The Archbishop is recommended to the protection of the Abbot of Pontigini - the Abbot receiving the Archbishop upon his arrival. Plate 3. Vigils of the Archbishop. 71. Plate 1. Interview between Becket and the King. Plate 2. The Archbishop returning to his See in England. Plate 3. The Archbishop seated at his table in his apartments at Canterbury. 72. Plate 1. The death of Becket. Plate 2. The burial of Becket. Plate 3. The depiction of Becket's reception into Paradise.