Boswell, James.

4to, 2 volumes 4to, first edition, one of 1,750 copies, second state with correct reading "give" in line 10, p.135 of volume 1, with the initial blank in volume 2, engraved portrait of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved plates of facsimiles by H. Shepherd, cancel leaves Mm4, Nn1 (volume 1) and E3, Oo4, Qq3, Zz1 and Eee2 (volume2), preserved in blue cloth folding box with red morocco labels,  original white paper-backed blue-grey boards, minor discoloration to boards, small repairs to spine

Godfrey Vassall Webster, contemporary ownership signatures on upper paste-downs, dated 1795

Pottle 79; Grolier English 65; Rothshild 463; Tinker 338

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

first edition,  a fine copy uncut in the original boards, of the first great modern biography, and still the most famous, in any language, of all time.  It is "one of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation..." (Oxford DNB)