A handsome copy of this much enlarged and preferred edition, richly illustrated in folio format. Maitland (c.1693–1757) was a Scottish merchant who having amassed some wealth in trade settled in London and produced this important chronological history in 1739. This second edition published fifteen years later includes almost 100 more engraved plates. This was perhaps to compete with Stow's Survey of the City of London and Westminster published the same year.

Most of the plates were engraved by Benjamin Cole either from the buildings themselves or models. The subjects are mainly public buildings as the 'purpose of this work is, to give an history of the Publick Buildings in the metropolis representing them in elegant figures accompanying these by an illustration of two kind; the first for general use [...] the other destined to the service of the practical architect' (Adams).

Second edition. 2 volumes, folio (42 x 28 cm), viii, 1-712; [xii], 713-1410 pp., engraved allegorical headpiece and 124 engraved plates and plans (the 122 called for in Adams plus St Luke's Hospital and Trinity Alms Houses at page 1288), some folding, oversize corners folded at page 1304 and plate of Guy's Hospital, small ink stains page 893, contemporary sprinkled calf gilt, neat repairs to joints, 2 labels renewed, a very attractive example.