THE BRITISH POETS by Cowper - 1822

London: George Bell & Sons. Decorative Cloth. Good. Bound in green cloth with gilt and black titling and decoration. In good+ condition. Darkening to spine, splitting to cloth at top of spine, minor rubbing and marking to covers, which are, however, still attractive. Previous owner's inscription on front end paper, light foxing to a couple of pages, slight browning to page margins, but generally clean internally. Hinges are a bit weak but secure, binding is otherwise very good. 267 pages. No publishing date, circa late 19th century. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall

Riverside Edition. Three volumes in two. Good+ HCs, no DJs. Dark maroon cloth over boards with gilt stamped titles; top edge gilt; light brown end papers; tissue-guarded frontispiece (1st vol only); ribbon markers. Clean, lightly scuffed, square covers and spines; 1st volume has 2 short, light scrape marks at mid front cover near spine; slightly faded on spines - titles clear; very slightly faded along cover edges; tightly bound;  ribbon markers present but somewhat fragile and frayed at ends; very clean interiors with slight age darkening along page edges; some leaves unopened at fore edges - never been read; leaves remain supple. Includes bio of author by Harris Nicolas (98 pp). 12mos, 1112 total pp (paged 465, 549 pp plus bio).

Good+ HCs, no DJs. Half bound in natural calf leather with Spanish pattern (?) marbled paper over boards, gilt overlaid veins on covers; pseudo raised bands on spine with extra gilt stamped floral and vine designs in compartments and with gilt stamped titles on red and brown spine panels; all edges marbled in Spanish pattern; end papers match cover marbling; tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait in volume 1. Bright, clean, square covers and spines; light edge rubbing - slight loss at volume 2 spine head; spine title panels have chipped off; leather remains supple; fine, short crack at volume 1 front cover/spine tail joint; tightly bound; owner bookplate on front pastedowns; light, clean interior with some age darkening at page edges. Memoir by Harris Nicolas. A very handsome set. Small 8vos, 1107 total pp (xciii, 465, 549).

Routledge, Warne, and Routledge, 1860-01-01. Unknown Binding. Good. in x in x in. 1880 routledge publication on red illustrated outer boards

Boston: Little Brown, 1859. Boston: Little Brown, 1859. 3 volumes. Early reprint, no edition stated. Brown cloth binding, gold titles. Volume I. Frontispiece, protective tissue. 264 pp. Spine cloth reglued to spine, chipping top of spine with some loss of material. Fair condition. Volume II. 307 pp. Chipping top of spine, tear to spine cloth at bottom of spine. Good condition. Volume III. 386 pp. Chipping top of spine with some loss of material. Good condition. Antique ex-library from one of the oldest institutions in the U.S.A., purchased directly from their historical collection. Very early (in the history of the library) hand-numbered and hand-dated bookplates in each volume.. Early Reprint. Cloth. Good. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Antique ex-library.

Three vols. London: William Pickering, 1843. Three vols., 8vo., xcvi, 264; vi, 307; xii, 386 pp., engraved frontisportrait, and Aldine device on the title-page. Contemporary half green calf, red marbled boards heightened in gilt, five raised bands with gilt-tooled panel decoration to backstrip, red and black morocco label strips with title information in gilt to backstrip, marbled endpapers. Joints and corners of boards have some slight rubbing, minor foxing to outer margins; otherwise very good. Bookplate of Thomas Lee Marshall to first pastedown. § Second edition thus, with a “Memoir of Cowper,” and a preface by John Newton. The Aldine Poet Series was a 20 year project that involved printing new editions of classic British poets from Chaucer through to the 19th Century. They were published in 53 volumes during the years 1830-1844. Pickering secured John Mitford and Alexander Dyce as editors with Sir Harris Nicolas, so that the series would be of a high standard.

London: William Pickering, 1830. FORE-EDGE PAINTING. From] "The Aldine Edition of the British Poets." London: William Pickering, 1830-1831. First edition of the three volumes of The Poetical Works of William Cowper, taken from "The Aldine Edition of the British Poets." Three small octavo volumes (6 5/16 x 4 inches; 160 x 100). xcvi, 264; vi, [2, ads], 307, [1, imprint]; xii, 386 pp. Volume one with general title from The Aldine Edition and each volume with a separate volume title. Volume one with frontispiece portrait. Each volume with a brightly colored, intricately detailed fore-edge painting. The three scenes are similar showing city centers and streets, filled with people and horse carriages. Uniformly bound in contemporary full diced maroon morocco. Boards ruled in blind, with gilt central devices. Spines stamped and lettered in gilt. Gilt dentelles. All edges gilt. Previous ownership inscriptions dated 1839 to the front free endpapers of each volume. Some minor rubbing to hinges. Overall a… Read More