[Baskerville] Quintus HORATIUS FLACCUS (HORACE) Birminghamiae (Birmingham), Joannis Baskerville, 1770 - First Baskerville edition in quarto of the works of the great Latin poet Horace. Complete with handsome title-page vignette and 5 superb hors texte engravings, including the frontispiece, after Gravelot, engraved by Lainé, Leveau, Le Vasseur and Godfroy. A magnificent copy in a period binding of full red morocco with triple frames of gilded fillets on the boards and corner fleurons, 5-rib spine with very richly and finely ornamented boxes, gilded fillets on the edges and gilded roulettes at the head and tail, counter-papers also with gilded lace edging and gilded edges, marbled paper endpapers. Interior particularly fresh and free of foxing, excellent condition, very slight scratches and small nicks to corners, not serious, a small trace of marginal wetness in the upper right-hand corner of the first few leaves, upper right-hand corner of the binding slightly browned, nevertheless a choice copy for one of the rare specimens of the Baskerville editions, which were aimed at a luxury clientele. One of John Baskerville's great successes was the invention of a special press for finer, sharper typefaces, the typographic result of which is considered one of the great achievements in this field in the 18th century. These typefaces were forgotten for a time in Europe, but were taken to the United States, which explains their inclusion in the Declaration of Independence. In-4, 344pp. Provenance: Hilarii Grésy, with engraved bookplate dated 1868, on the front flyleaf.