MURPHY, James.- A general view of the state of Portugal; containing a topographical description thereof in which are included an account of the physical and moral state of the kingdom, together with observations on the animal, vegetable and mineral productions of its colonies.- London: Printed for T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies, 1798.- XI, [1], 272 p.: XV gravuras color., 1 mapa desdobr.; 31 cm.- E. Original edition of one of the most famous foreign books on Portugal. James Murphy (1760-1814), Irish architect and traveller, native of Blackrock (Cork). Murphy was in Portugal between 1789 and 1790, in the service of William Burton Conyngham, with the mission to study and design the architecture of the Monastery of Batalha. Illustrated edition with 15 aquatints, colored by hand, mainly representing Portuguese customs and costumes, and a fold-out map of Portugal (with tears in the folds, without lack of support). All engravings and the map respect the original placement, according to the “list of plates”, on p. [VII]. Copy slightly cropped, with occasional light browning. Engraving of the equestrian statue, close to the title page, with the lower margin redone. Old signature at the upper margin of the title page: B. Wm. Klingelohoefer. The colouring of the aquatints is smooth and of great quality. Recent binding, fully in green morocco, probably from the workshops of the Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva Foundation, with gold ornamental borders and florets on the covers, closed panels on the smooth spine, roll on the squares and fillet in the thickness of the folders; impeccably gilt edges. Duarte de Sousa, 509. Foulché-Delbosc, 197 D.