- 154
Wordsworth, William.
Estimate
12,000 - 16,000 GBP
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Description
- Lyrical Ballads with a few other poems. J. and A. Arch, 1798
8vo, first edition, second (London) issue, errata leaf and advertisement leaf at the end, original pink boards with cream spine, preserved in cloth folding box, spine lettered in gilt, occasional spotting to text, lacking spine, boards slightly soiled, upper board with small red label with manuscript number
Provenance
Simon Nowell-Smith, his bookplate and that of his wife Judith Adams Nowell-Smith; sold by Bertram Rota, Catalogue 300, Poetry. The Simon Nowell-Smith Collection, 2002, item 801
Literature
Wise 4; Cornell 4; Hayward 202 (the Bristol issue, lent by Lord Rothschild, not in boards), Grolier Hundred 66
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
the earliest obtainable edition of the collection of poems which inaugurated the romantic movement in english literature and poetry, and one of the most celebrated of all collaborative literary works. The earlier Bristol issue of the same year is listed by Healey in 13 copies, but there are thought to be none remaining in private hands.The Cornell copy (Cornell 3) is rebound in green morocco; Di Ricci says that the Bristol Lyrical Ballads was published in drab boards, and Healey notes that apparently no copies survive in boards.
Except for the title page, the London issue does not differ from the Bristol issue. A case can also be made that this issue was the first published issue. The Bristol issue was prepared in anticipation of publication by Longmans, an event which never materialised, leading Dorothy Wordsworth to write in September 1798 that the book had been "printed, not published", since there was no publisher until Cottle found Arch and Wordsworth found Johnson at about the same time. See also D.F. Foxon, "The Printing of Lyrical Ballads, 1798", in The Library, Fifth Series, Vol.IX, No.4, December 1953.
extremely rare in original boards. It is thought that around 13 copies survive in boards, of approximately 65 in total.
Coleridge contributed "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "The Foster-Mother's Tale," "The Nightingale" (replacing "Lewti" in all but four known copies of the Bristol issue), and "The Dungeon." Wordsworth contributed most of the poems, drawing on a huge creative burst in the Spring and Summer of 1798, which included "Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey."
Except for the title page, the London issue does not differ from the Bristol issue. A case can also be made that this issue was the first published issue. The Bristol issue was prepared in anticipation of publication by Longmans, an event which never materialised, leading Dorothy Wordsworth to write in September 1798 that the book had been "printed, not published", since there was no publisher until Cottle found Arch and Wordsworth found Johnson at about the same time. See also D.F. Foxon, "The Printing of Lyrical Ballads, 1798", in The Library, Fifth Series, Vol.IX, No.4, December 1953.
extremely rare in original boards. It is thought that around 13 copies survive in boards, of approximately 65 in total.
Coleridge contributed "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "The Foster-Mother's Tale," "The Nightingale" (replacing "Lewti" in all but four known copies of the Bristol issue), and "The Dungeon." Wordsworth contributed most of the poems, drawing on a huge creative burst in the Spring and Summer of 1798, which included "Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey."