Octavo half tan blind tooled leather on 5 raised bands and red gilt spine label with marbled boards (sl.faded or rubbed). Frontis + Titlepage +Preface +612pp +[20]pp index. Minor signs of use and pale foxing and name J.S. Graham to corner of Title, small repair to frontis but no loss, normal foxing/tanning but still clean and tight. Includes Benjamin Franklin’s account of making a kite to draw electric fire from the clouds: "This kite is to be raised when a thunder gust appears to be coming on, and the person who holds the string must stand within a door, or widow, or under some cover, so that the silk ribbon may not be wet .." also his Hypothesis for explaining the Phenomena of Thunder, Lightning, and Rain, plus comments on all this from other correspondents, and a report of electrical experiments by the physician to the French King. Other articles include action of the heart valves by Boerhaave, Nursing in cases of small pox, History of the Incas, of the Man in the Iron Mask, corruption of Shakespeare texts revealed, and much on history, inventions, and register of books published. The coat of arms plates were not ready for this volume and according to a footnote under the plates list are being resevered for a later one.