8vo (210 x 127 mm). Engraved device on title-page. Contemporary mottled calf gilt, spine n 6 compartments with 5 raised bands, red morocco lettering-pieces gilt in 2, others gilt (light wear to joints and spine ends). Provenance: Richard Brinsley Sheridan (armorial bookplate); "RBS" (contemporary note on front flyleaf verso regarding an essay in the text and initialed in an unknown hand, presumably not that of Sheridan's).

RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN'S COPY. Addison, a prominent essayist, playwright, and co-founder of The Spectator, significantly influenced 18th-century literature and the development of English drama. Sheridan, who came decades later, admired Addison's witty style and was thus influenced by his emphasis on satire and social commentary. Sheridan's plays, such as The School for Scandal and The Rivals, reflected a similar blend of wit, humor, and social critique that Addison had popularized.