[Three Tours of Doctor Syntax, comprising:] The First Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of the picturesque; [with] The Second Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of consolation; [and] The Third Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of a wife
by COMBE, William (1742-1823); Thomas ROWLANDSON (1756-1827)
- Used
- Fine
- Condition
- Fine
- Seller
-
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Nattali and Bond, Bedford Street, Covent Garden [from 1812], 1855. Early Reprint. Paper-Covered Boards. Fine. Ninth Edition, complete in three volumes with 80 hand-colored aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson. (Eighty-one plates are called for on the title pages, but the plate lists contain a total of only 79, with the illustrated title page in Vol. 3 unlisted. Presumably, there was an illustrated title page planned for the Second Tour but never included.) Tall 8vo's: [6],272,[6, catalog of books published by Nattali and Bond]; [4],277,[1]; [6],279,[1]pp. Hand-marbled paper-covered boards, finely woven green cloth spines, matching morocco lettering pieces gilt, recently bound by Fitterer, a truly splendid production. Fine bindings; clean, wide-margined pages with only occasional offsetting; vibrant, deep, rich, fresh coloring. Abbey, Life, 265-67. Tooley 427-29. The three tours of Doctor Syntax, featuring the comic, skin-and-bone cleric at the mercy of all manner of misadventures, were supposedly based on an idea of Thomas Rowlandson's close friend, the actor Jack Bannister, and first appeared in 1812, 1820, and 1821, respectively. William Combe's verses for Rowlandson's illustrations, produced by the prestigious publisher and art dealer Rudolph Ackermann, earned Combe his soubrette, Doctor Syntax. "Combining a light-hearted satire of William Gilpin's theory of the picturesque in art with a central character modelled on Cervantes' Don Quixote and Henry Fielding's Parson Adams, Combe created a lovable eccentric whose misadventures on the road structure the Tour. [Other sources for Syntax, drawn from the picturesque tradition, were probably Le Sage's Gil Blas and Smollett's Peregrine Pickle, as well as Samuel Butler's earlier Hudibras.] For over a century the many editions and numerous imitations of the Tour attested to the popularity of Combe's humorous hero." (ODNB) "Combe's first Dr. Syntax book (originally published in the Poetical Magazine in 1809) and its successors . . . satirize the many 18th- and early 19th-century writers whose "Tours," "Travels," and "Journeys" were vehicles for sententious moralizing, uninspired raptures, and sentimental accounts of amorous adventures. The popularity of Combe's work owed much to the illustrations of Thomas Rowlandson." (Britannica) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).
Details
- Bookseller
- Fine Editions Ltd (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- BB1266
- Title
- [Three Tours of Doctor Syntax, comprising:] The First Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of the picturesque; [with] The Second Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of consolation; [and] The Third Tour of Doctor Syntax, in search of a wife
- Author
- COMBE, William (1742-1823); Thomas ROWLANDSON (1756-1827)
- Format/Binding
- Paper-Covered Boards
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Early Reprint
- Publisher
- Nattali and Bond, Bedford Street, Covent Garden [from 1812]
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1855
- Bookseller catalogs
- XIX CENTURY;
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Fine Editions Ltd
We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Biblio web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.
About the Seller
Fine Editions Ltd
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
About Fine Editions Ltd
Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Plate
- Full page illustration or photograph. Plates are printed separately from the text of the book, and bound in at production. I.e.,...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Reprint
- Any printing of a book which follows the original edition. By definition, a reprint is not a first edition.
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