The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, with Notes. NELSON, Horatio, Viscount Nelson - NICOLAS, Sir Nicholas Harris (ed.).

First editions of volumes II-VII, second edition of Volume I (first published in 1844) with additional letters and notes. This is the essential starting point for any attempt to understand Nelson, printing some 3,500 of his letters. Michael Nash notes in the foreword to his recent annotated edition that "The 'Nicolas', as it is generally known, has never been superseded". Calling on his extensive social contacts and personal reputation, Nicolas (1799-1848) obtained access to numerous collections of correspondence, including those inherited by Nelson's niece, Lady Bridport. "Nicolas took care to arrange his material in strict chronological order, adding extensive and very helpful footnotes. As a result it is as good as a biography" (White, pp. 185-86). Cowie 144. Michael Nash, The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson, with Notes, 1997-98; The Law Journal, vol. 60, 1925; Colin White (ed.) The Nelson Companion, 1995. 7 vols, octavo (217 x 140 mm). Vol. I with portrait frontispiece of Nelson by Freeman after Abbott, folding facsimile letter frontispiece to vol. II, 4 plans (3 folding, 2 with hand-coloured highlights), 3 folding facsimile letters, plans, sketches, and tables in text. Contemporary calf, twin red and green spine labels, raised bands milled in gilt, compartments decorated in gilt, boards with gilt double-fillet border, board edges milled in gilt, marbled endpapers and edges, binder's ticket of Bickers & Son on front free endpaper verso of each vol. Gift inscription on first blank of vol. I: "Thomas Weller-Poley, as a tribute of affection from Offley and Henry Offley Wakeman. On his leaving Eton, Dec. 13th 1867". Large tidemarks and patches of stripping to bindings, vol. VII rubbed at extremities, fore-edges sunned, tidemarks and some soiling internally, folding plan in vol. III trimmed at bottom edge with loss to imprint: a good set.