This book was purchased by George IV as Prince of Wales in 1781. The binding is identical to George III’s copy, which is now found in the British Library.
It is unknown who bound the volume, but it may have been James Scott of Edinburgh. Scott was responsible for a change in binding design in the late eighteenth century and introduced rococo styles which included mythological and biblical features. The binding of this volume follows this style and contains biblical and allegorical images on a nautical theme including Noah’s Ark and Britannia.
The book itself was one of the earliest purchases by The Prince of Wales, a lifelong bibliophile who demonstrated a keen interest in military and naval matters. He can be seen heading a subscription list at the age of 19; it later formed a part of his library at Carlton House.