Letters on the elements of botany, addressed to a Lady by J. J. Rousseau. Translated into English, with notes, and twenty-four additional letters, fully explaining the system of Linnaeus by Thomas Martyn, B.D.F.R. & L.SS, Regius professor of botany in the University of Cambridge. The eighth edition, corrected. [AND] Thirty-eight plates with explanations; intended to illustrate Linnaeus's system of vegetables, and particularly adapted to the letters on the Elements of Botany.

London, White, Cochrane, and Co., Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; B. Crosby and Co.; and Gale, Curtis, and Fenner, 1815. Two works in one. 8vo (21.0 x 13.1 cm). Half title, title, xx, 434 pp., folding table. [AND] London, J. White, 1799. vi, 72 pp.; 38 hand-coloured, tissue-guarded engraved plates by F. Nodder. Full contemporay polished calf, spine with four raised, flat-topped bands with gilt ornaments; compartments with rich gilt vignettes and title; boards with elaborate double gilt borders, blind-tooled, gilt, and black ornamental lines; gilt inner and outer dentelles; marbled edges. = An unusually fine, complete copy of this immensely popular work, based on the botanical system of Linnaeus, and including the separately published hand-coloured plates. This is the eighth and final edition, with latest corrections of the text, and the 1799 edition of the plates and their descriptions. Only eight of the 32 letters in this work are by the famous French writer, composer, botanist, and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), the remaining 24 being the work of the English botanist and naturalist, Thomas Martyn (1735-1825). The plates are rarely found together with the Rousseau and Martyn letters; the first editions lack them. Minimal age-wear to the beautiful, contemporary binding; a few skilful repairs; some light foxing on a few pages of text only; a bit more on the half-title and title; the plates are fine. Hunt, 687; Nissen BBI, 1292.