London: Printed for S. Bladon, 1779-1780. First edition. Contemporary full calf, covers decoratively bordered in blind, spines with four wide raised bands, decoratively tooled in gilt and blind in compartments, two green morocco labels lettered in gilt, blind-stamped board edges and turn-ins, all edges gilt. Some minor wear to a few corners, otherwise a near fine set. Volumes 1-6 only (of 7). Six octavo volumes (7 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches; 197 x 124 mm.). Collating 392; 392; 404, 384; 426 (of 428); 406. Twenty-one (of twenty-four) fine engraved plates. Volume I lacking two of the engraved plates (Daly, facing page 39, and Draper, facing page 20), and clean inner marginal tear on Q4 (pages 5/6); Volume II with light marginal stain on 3A4 (pages 59/50); Volume IV, Z3 (pages 87/88) trimmed at fore-margin; Volume V, Z3 (pages 55/56) trimmed at fore-margin and lacking last leaf 3H4 (pages. 305/306) Address to the Public (verso blank); Volume VI lacking one engraved plate (Grosvenor, facing pages 114). Armorial bookplate on front paste-down of each volume and early ink signature of Thos. Grant at top of title-pages.

Trials for Adultery was published over a period of two years and was completed in seven volumes with thirty engraved plates. Because of their 'pornographic' nature some or all of the plates are often not found. In our set three of the plates have been excised by a previous owner. "The genre of pornographic trial reports was fully developed in the late 1770s, a fact which is borne out by the publication in seven volumes of a special collection of interesting cases, Trials for Adultery: or, the History of Divorces. The editor remarks to the reader that 'conjugal infidelity is become so general that it is hardly considered as criminal; especially in the fashionable world'. In view of the many erotic and obscene prints contained in the seven volumes, the moral justifications offered in defence of the publication of the trial reports appear quite ridiculous, if not hypocritical. Mostly erotic, but occasionally also obscene, such pictorial material now became a standard feature of trial reports for the rest of the century" (Boucé). (Item #3796)