A general history of music from the earliest ages to the present period : to which is prefixed, a dissertation on the music of the ancients / by Charles Burney.

Collation: Vol. I: pp. [i-iii], iv-v, [vi-vii], viii-xx, 5ff. (subscribers), 1f. (contents), pp. [1]-522, 1f. (errata & directions to the bookbinder); additional asterisked pagination 81*-86* between 80/81, 217*-232* between 216/217; the directions on the final leaf call for 26 asterisked pages, but the dealer from whom the library bought this copy has never seen more than the 22 mentioned above. Plates: placed as follows (as usual): I, facing title page; II p. 275; III, p. 326; IV, V & VI after p. 522; VII, p. 205; VIII, p. 222*; IX, p. 252.
Collation: Vol. II: 2ff., pp. [1], 2-597, 1f. (corrections & additions). Plates: [I] frontispiece showing Orpheus holding lyre + 5 figures (incluing Pan); II, p. 264; note that the long "s" is used throughout and there is no 1809 watermark (which are characteristics of the second edition).
Collation: Vol. III: pp. [i-v], vi-xi, [1], 2-622, 6ff. (index); numerals 246-7, 477-486 & 575-6 are all used twice. Plate: frontispiece, headed "See page 324. Vol: III." (sometimes this is placed facing 324 and the Vol. IV frontispiece used here).
Collation: Vol. IV: 2ff., pp. [1], 2-688, 5ff. (index), 1f. (errata). Plate: frontispiece is the portrait of Burney by Reynolds, engraved by Bartolozzi.
First edition.
Some of the musical illustrations are engraved.
Includes indexes.