Lot 69
  • 69

Shelley, Percy Bysshe.

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • Adonais. An Elegy on the Death of John Keats, author of Endymion, Hyperion etc. Pisa, with the Types of Dido, 1821
crown 4to (218 x 132mm.), first edition, full crushed green morocco gilt by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, all edges gilt, green cloth slipcase, slightly foxed



very rare first edition of shelley's great elegy on john keats, "to which has been ascribed a place with the laments of Bion and Moschus and Milton's Lycidas, the greatest elegiac poems in all literature" (Granniss). The poem is prefaced by a bitter attack on the critics of the Quarterly Review whose harsh treatment of Endymion, Shelley believed, had hastened Keats's death. As Shelley himself remarked, Adonais was beautifully printed at his own request in Pisa (by an unidentified printer), and issued without half-title.



"He has outsoared the shadow of our night..."

Provenance

Dr. B.E. Juel-Jensen, book-label and pencilled note on front endpaper ("75 copies were printed")

Literature

Granniss 66; Hayward 229; Wise Shelley pp.60-61; Grolier English 73

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."