Search Results: Classic English Literature from Quercus Rare Books

New York: James Miller, Publisher, 1875. First published in 1856; this is a Very Good copy of a Later Printing (a posthumous edition, for she had died in 1861). "From the Last London Edition, Corrected by the Author" and containing the long title poem and eleven others. There is an interesting statement by Robert Browning, affirming the rights of Miller to publish; there was no copyright protection at this time, and American pirates were rampant. This copy is bound in leather, nicely blindstamped on the covers. Five raised bands on the spine, with titling in gilt. Clean text; 251 pages; with all edges gilt; marbled endpapers with gilt ruling. Contemporary (1880) signature on the second free endpaper. Rubbed at the margins, with a split along the spine edge (holding very well). Despite these issues, a very attractive edition; not commonly seen in leather.. Later Printing. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1881. This is a Near Fine copy of the "Copyright Edition," published in the same year as the first trade edition. (Starting in 1840, and continuing for one hundred years the Tauchnitz editions protected author's rights on the European continent.) Three volumes bound together as one, in a modern rebind. Numbers 2001, 2002, and 2003 in the Tauchnitz series. Bright red cloth with gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 287 pages, 286 pages, and 287 pages. There are (very) occasional smudges and light wrinkles,; else, a Fine copy.. First Thus. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

London: Macmillan, 1913. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the first scientist to be knighted, ended his political career in disgrace, but his fame as the founder of empirical philosophy lives on. Quercus will ignore the idea that Bacon was also Shakespeare; did he not already accomplish enough? This is a Near Fine copy of a lovely little reissue; many editions, with added material, since the original publication in 1862. Cloth boards; smooth calf spine and tips; ruled in gilt, with six raised bands on the spine. A delight to hold, and well-worth reading today. Marbled endpapers. Clean text; 388 pages. Previous-owner signature on the front free endpaper; minor rub to the leather tips. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Reprint.. Half-Leather. Near Fine/No Jacket.

Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1846. Originally published in America in 1842; this is a Very Good copy of a Later Printing, from four years after. Dark brown cloth binding, stamped decoratively, with title and figure in gilt on the spine. Clean text; 323 pages. Bumped at the corners and general light wear around the margins. Contemporary previous-owner signature on the Title Page. Generally, a sound copy. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Later Printing.. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket.

Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1842. This is a Very Good copy of a Later Printing of the First American Edition (lacking the point of missing chapter title on p.21). Marbled paper-covered boards with leather spine and tips; gilt titling with rules on the spine. Clean text; iv, 323 pages; includes the exerpt from "Master Humphrey's Clock" at the end. Although there is occasional spotting and faint floodmarks, the text is generally rather bright and supple; easily read today. There is a small bookplate (contemporary) on the front paste-down, and a later signature on the free endpaper. Covers are rather extensively rubbed, corners bumped to a fray, and there are a large chips on the front and spine; the spine has been repaired with some sort of cello tape. While far from a Binding Copy, this would be a good candidate for a rebind; as it is, a good Reading Copy.. First American Edition.. Half-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1859. This is a Near Fine copy of the "Copyright Edition," published in the same year as the first trade edition. (Starting in 1840, and continuing for one hundred years the Tauchnitz editions protected author's rights on the European continent.) Two volumes bound together as one, in a modern rebind. Numbers 468 and 469 in the Tauchnitz series. Bright red cloth with gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 400 pages and 392 pages. There are remains of an old cello tape repair visible at the Title Pages, and the spine is lightly faded. Else, a Fine copy.. First Thus. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

New York: Harper & Bros, 1859. Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) was a prolific and popular novelist whose reputation and popularity has been restored in the 21st century. "The Bertrams" was his fifth novel, coming on the heels of several failed attempts that had Ireland as the subject matter. This is a Very Good copy of the First American Edition, issued in the same year as the English version from Chapman and Hall. Green pebbled cloth binding with stamped decoration on the front and rear covers, gilt lettering on the spine. Clean text; 528 pages. There are two previous-owner signatures (1859 & 1941) on the FFEP. Bumped corners and rubbing/chipping to the head and foot of the spine, which has darkened to a dark brown. The front gutter is cracked but holding. Basically a sound-enough copy, but not for the advanced collector. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First American Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket.

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1853. Originally published in parts starting in March 1852; this is a Very Good copy of the First Edition. Considered one of the greatest of Dickens works, it is a classic of English literature; a good case can be made to also consider it an early mystery; Hubin (119) includes it so. Marbled paper-covered boards with a green leather spine and tips.(now darkened to almost black); Titled on the spine in gilt, with seven gilt rules. 624 pages. Frontis illustration and 38 others within, including the ten "black plates," by H.K. Browne ("Phiz") All FE points are present. While this is a solid copy, there are issues to mention. Rubbed at the margins, heavily at the foot and head of the spine. The titling on the spine is readable, but faint. Page ends are dusty, and there is spotting and staining within, particularly around the plates. . First Edition. Quarter-Bound. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by H.K. Browne. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Boston: The Bibliophile Society, 1912. Once wildly popular, Swinburne (1837-1909) is somewhat out of favor today, perhaps because he was so gifted with rhyme. He may come back; after all, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize five times. These ballads were unpublished at his death. This is a Fine copy of the First Edition, which was LIMITED to 477 copies, with two more retained for copyright. Edited by Thomas J. Wise. Finely bound in a tan cloth with vellum spine with gilt lettering. Clean text; 87 pages; top-edge gilt, others rough-cut. Illustrated with a reproduction of the manuscript page for "Lord Soulis." Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Limited.. Hard Cover. Fine/No Jacket.

New York: William Durell and Co., 1812. This is a Fair only copy of an Early American Imprint, this containing "The Tale of a Tub;" reprinting Thomas Sheridan's "New Edition." Full leather binding; red label titled in gilt on the spine. Frontis engraving; 331 pages. Text generally clean and readable; endpapers and title page have browning. Disbound. Both covers present but the rear completely detached and the front holding only by the threads. [Please note the condition issues. Quercus must offer this book as a Binding Copy, in need of restoration or repair.. First Edition Thus. Disbound. Fair/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

New York: William Durell and Co., 1812. This is a Good only copy of an Early American Imprint; reprinting Volume VIII of the "New Edition" by John Nichols. Contains Swift's Directions to Servants. Full leather binding; chipped on the spine with the edges cracked but holding. Endpapers are tanned. [Please note the condition issues; while not quite the worst condition seen, Quercus must offer this book as a Binding Copy, in need of restoration or repair]. First Edition Thus. Full-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

London & New York: Frederick Warne and Co. Isaac Disraeli (1776-1848) wrote these works in 1812 and 1814; here they are combined in a "New Edition" edited by his more-famous son. Dark brown cloth binding (now lighter on the spine) with a paper label on the spine. Clean text; 552 pages, indexed. There is no publication date; bibliographers seem to agree on 1881, which is the year that Benjamin died. Possibly issued posthumously. The spine label has darkened but remains completely readable: Else, a Fine copy, and a fun read as well.. First Thus. Hard Cover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1865. The very prolific (47 novels) Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) has recently regained his popularity with serious readers. This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of the First American Edition of the first of his "Palliser Novels." Not a common title. Originally published in serial form and in two volumes for the English First; the American version is complete in one volume. Green publisher's original cloth binding; stamped rule on the covers, gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 334 pages, with two pages of publisher adverts for "Harper's Library of Select Novels" in the rear. No publication date, but 1865 (there is a penciled notation on the TP). Illustrated by H.K. Browne ("Phizz"). Occasional spotting only; text quite supple and generally bright. The tissue guard has a tear, but remains in place; mild bumps, rubbing to head and foot of spine. Light general wear, with some light-colored areas on the rear cover. An attractive copy..… Read More

Philadelphia, New York, Boston & Baltimore: E. Littell & Co.; And By C. Carvill & Co.; Otis, Broaders & Co.; N. Hickman, 1839. This interesting Victorian anthology was published from the 1820s to the 1840s, collecting chapters and snippets from the popular works of the day; most likely they were pirated since international copyrights had not been established. This volume happens to contain portions of the First American Printings of "Oliver Twist" and "Nicholas Nickleby" (recall that Dickens himself wrote and published serially). This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of the First Edition. Marbled paper-covered boards with red leather spine and tips; spine labeling in gilt - including the legend "War Department Library," which matches a label on the front paste-down. Clean text; 576 pages (although there is a publisher miscue with the "Life and Writings of Sir William Temple" bound-in twice). All page-ends marbled. Rubbing to the margins; occasional… Read More

Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1860. This is a Very Good (Plus) copy of the "Copyright Edition," published in the same year as the first trade edition. (Starting in 1840, and continuing for one hundred years the Tauchnitz editions protected author's rights on the European continent.) Two volumes bound together as one, in a modern rebind. Numbers 520 and 521 in the Tauchnitz series. Bright red cloth with gilt titling on the spine. Clean text; 336 pages and 336 pages. The last page of Volume One has a tear that has been repaired with cello tape. Spine lightly faded. First Thus. Hard Cover. Very Good (Plus)/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

London, Glasgow and New York: George Routledge and Sons, 1887. This is the second of the "Christmas novels" - first published in 1844, a year after "A Christmas Carol." It has often been adapted for the stage. A Very Good copy, uncommon thus. Marbled paper-covered boards with a red cloth spine; titling in gilt within a black label on the spine. Clean text;256 pages. Contemporary (1892) notation on the front paste-down; small bookplate on the FFEP. Rubbed at the margins; spine has faded to a pink.. Later Printing. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

Boston: Samuel H. Parker, 1828. A two-volume collection of stories by the Scottish historical novelist (1771-1832); although not credited on the Title Page, Scott identifies himself in his Introduction. Volume I (198 pages) contains "The Highland Widow," "The Two Drovers," and "The Surgeon's Daughter." Volume II (242 pages) has only the novelette "The Antiquary. A Romance." These are Very Good copies of the First Edition Thus (Harper had published the year before), quite scarce in the Trade and with only one institutional holding. Leather bound with stamped gilt letting on the spine; books are rubbed at the margins and are lightly foxed throughout. The paper remains supple, and they are quite readable, The FFEP of Volume II has some loss. Withal, although worn, these remain attractive copies of an uncommon Scott title. Size: 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. First Thus.. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket.

London: G. Pearch, 1775. Here is a stunning, exceptional, and rare set of collected poetry in a fine binding from the late 18th Century. This is an expansion of the collection published by Robert Dodsley (1703-1764) in 1758. (Or, perhaps Pearch is just piggy-backing on Dodsley's popularity; he published a two-volume edition in 1768 and expanded it here seven years later.) Quite rare; Quercus has found only the British Library holding copies. These are bound in lovely smooth calf, tooled and banded on the spines, filled with gilt. Red spine label ("Pearch's Collection"). These are ASSOCIATION COPIES. Blindstamped with the Coat of Arms of Trinity College Dublin on the front covers. In addition, there is a Printed and Signed label affixed to the front paste-downs indicating the books were awarded as a prize by Trinity in 1777. Clean texts, with bright laid paper and marbled endpapers. 317, 316, 324, and 316 pages, all indexed in the rear. Volume Four includes an errata page and 2 pages… Read More

New York: A,L. Burt Company, 1890. First published in the "London Magazine" in 1821, De Quincey is said to have invented recreational drug-taking through his popular essay. This is a Near Fine copy of a popular reprinting of De Quincey's works - part of the publisher's "Home Library" for a literate middle class audience. Includes the Preface to the First Edition of 1822, An Appended Note from 1856, and the Prefatory Notice for the New Enlarged Edition of 1856. In addition to the title essay, it includes "Murder as One of the Fine Arts," "Revolt of the Tartars," and "The English Mail-Coach." Red cloth binding with gilt lettering on the spine. Frontis portrait; clean text; 369 pages, with two pages of publisher's adverts at the rear. There is no publication date, but Masson had edited "The Confessions" as early as 1862 and the Collected Works by 1889; Quercus arbitrarilly assigns this a publication date of 1890, which "seems… Read More

London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Ltd., 1906. This is a set of four volumes that are "A Verbatim Reprint of the Edition of 1848-1849 with a Copious Index." This was the famous edition edited by Richard (Neville) Griffin, Third Baron Braybrooke (1783-1858), which first appeared in 1825. Very Good (Plus) condition. Dark green cloth binding with a red cloth spine; decorative titling in gilt on the spine. Clean texts, although the paper is toned; top edges are gilt. Volume I is viii, 551 pages, mildly rubbed; Volume II is 471 pages, rubbed at tips with small spot onrear cover; Volume III is 499 pages; Volume IV contains the Diary to page 183, an Addenda to page 244; Correspondence to page 387; Appendix and Pedigree to page 424; a Life to page 451; and with an Index continuing to page 567. This is Samuel Pepys for the true completist! An uncommon edition that presents very well indeed.. Reprint Edition. Half-Leather. Very Good (Plus)/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.