HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT by Trollope, Anthony - 1869

1869. With Sixty-four Illustrations by Marcus Stone. [In Two Volumes.] London: Strahan and Company, 1869. Original blind-stamped green cloth. First Edition in book form. Louis Trevelyan "knew he was right" about his young wife's infidelity. This is a long and detailed study of the gradual falling into madness of a suspicious husband... The final stages of his mental and moral dilapidation have a wild affliction unusual in the controlled world of Trollope characters. [Sadleir] This was one of the eight Trollope novels that were initially serialized in parts -- issued in 32 weekly wrappered parts (also available as eight monthly parts), beginning in October 1867 and ending in May 1869. There was one full-page plate plus one initial vignette by Marcus Stone in each weekly part -- hence a total of 64 illustrations, as indicated on the title pages. The publisher Virtue gave Trollope extremely generous terms in order to be chosen to publish this novel -- too generous: Virtue "went under" after the 29th part, after which another publisher Strahan issued the remaining few -- as well as this two-volume publication in the final month of serialization, using the exact same leaves and illustrations. This is a very good-plus set, perhaps near-fine, with very minor shelf-wear at the extremities and one little dent on a spine; the delicate original pale yellow endpapers are still present. In our experience this novel seems to be scarcer in the original cloth than most of Trollope's other illustrated (i.e. serialized) novels. Sadleir (TROLLOPE) 31.