The History of Sir Charles Grandison. RICHARDSON (Samuel).

FIRST LONDON EDITION

The History of Sir Charles Grandison. In a Series of Letters Published from the Originals, By the Editor of Pamela and Clarissa.

First Edition. Seven volumes. 12mo. [178 x 105 x 190 mm]. Bound c.1990 by Period Binders of Bath in half calf, marbled paper sides, the spines divided into six panels by raised bands, lettered in the second on a red goatskin label and numbered in the third, plain endleaves and edges.
London: printed for S. Richardson; and sold by C. Hitch and L. Hawes; J. Rivington; Andrew Millar; R. and J. Dodsley; and J. Leake at Bath, 1754.

The title-page to Vol.VII sates it to be the third edition, but Rothschild (1752) explains: "Portions of Vol.VII of the first and third editions were printed about the same time, and according to Sale either through accident or design, various combinations of sheets and title-pages were achieved when these volumes for the two editions were being bound". The final 20 pages present Richardson's lament at a pirated Dublin edition. Signature N in vol.5 is misbound. Titles and final pages with light marginal offsetting from original turn-ins and a few spots but a very good copy.

Richardson's third and final novel, published at the age of 64, in response to Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, and in request "to give the world his idea of a good man and fine gentleman combined".

Stock no. ebc8274