8vo.; contemporary full tan calf with double-ruled gilt panel to boards, each enclosing two further gilt-rolled panels to sides, these surrounding an unusual coffin-shaped design in black, punctuated by small gilt circles, stamped to both boards, flat-back spine with black and gilt banding and gilt tooling in compartments, gilt edges to boards, gilt-rolled dentelles, marbled edges and endpapers; pp. xx + 226 + [ii]; title with wood-engraved vignette and a host of pretty wood-engraved vignettes and tailpieces throughout by John Thomson, Branston and Williams, in the style of John Bewick; a pretty copy with light overall dusting and very small wear to forecorners of boards, gilt lettering to spine rubbed almost to obscurity in two compartments and somewhat tanned to a third, a single small triangular chip to head at lower joint, internally clean and crisp, with a neat and early gift inscription, dated 1855, to front free endpaper. First Chiswick Press edition, with the 16-page “The Life of John Gay” by Dr. Johnson, presented in an unusual and eye-catching binding. The dramatist and poet John Gay penned the first collection of 50 of these witty and satirical fables in couplets in 1727. They were written for Prince William Augustus, the son of George II, to entertain and instruct, and all demonstrate a clear moral lesson with humour and bite.  In 1738 the final 17 fables were first published posthumously. All are present here, each with one or two accompanying wood-engraved illustrations.