FIRST EDITION SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. [1st edition of vols 3-9; 5th edition of vols 1-2, with vols 5, 7 and 9 signed by author]. by Sterne, Laurence - 1760

London: London: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley in Pall Mall / T. Becket and P.A. DeHondt in the Strand, 1760. 1st Edition . Full leather. Very Good. Hogarth, William. Octavo; fifth edition (vols 1-2, 1763), first edition (vols 3-9, 1761-1767). Full set of nine volumes in uniform original eighteenth century full leather bindings (somewhat worn with minor loss to extremities, front boards to vols 1 and 9 detached, other hinges cracked but all secure), double gilt fillet to board margins, five raised spine bands between gilt double fillets, gilt-lettered red leather title label present in second compartment of vol.8 only, gilt volume numbers direct to spines in third compartments, old engaved heraldic library label to front pastedowns (applied over another unknown earlier label), early and closing leaves stained by turn ins, opening blanks and frontispiece to vol.1 detached, occasional unobtrusive spots and stains especially to opening and closing leaves of each volume, otherwise a clean and an attractive full set in original matching bindings. Complete with Hogarth's frontispieces to volumes 1 and 3, the black page, the blank page, an attractive rendition of the hand-produced marbled page, Sterne's signatures to volumes 5, 7 and 9, and all the original typographic playfulness for which this work is so widely celebrated.