Coleridge, Samuel Taylor.

8vo, first edition, presentation copy with a 9-line inscription to the author's "young friend and pupil" charles stutfield on the title page, without half-title as issued, nineteenth-century calf gilt, marbled edges, joints slightly split, binding very worn and scuffed



The presentation inscription reads "To Charles Stutfield, Esq^{re, who | in this work will recognize not without pleasing | and friendly recollections many of | the sentiments and principles familiarized | to him during the hours of no | every day moral & intellectual | intercommune with his sincere | and obliged friend, S.T. Coleridge | Jan 7 1830."}



Coleridge was friends with both Charles Stutfield Sr and Charles Stutfield Jr: the former was a wine merchant and an old friend from his Nether Stowey days; the latter (the recipient here, Charles Bradshaw Stutfield, fl.1822-53)) an amanuensis and disciple of his, often attending the poet's "Thursday evening class", and a frequent visitor to his house in Highgate until the end.

Wise Coleridge 74

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."

"Religion had in the meantime come to the fore among national issues, as the position of Roman Catholics was debated and George IV agreed to a discussion in cabinet in January 1829. Coleridge, who had refused in that month to sign a petition against Catholic emancipation, felt that he must clarify his own position and turned back to his former plan for a disquisition on the church, producing—with unexpected speed considering his state of health—his pamphlet On the Constitution of the Church and State. The work, remembered particularly for advocating the establishment of a 'clerisy', an educated class between the laity and the ordained clergy that should further the purposes of the church in a Christian society, confutes the supposition that in later life his work was invariably digressive and inconclusive..." (Oxford DNB)