Keats, John

8vo (223 x 142mm.), FIRST EDITION, half-title with imprint on verso "Printed by T. Miller, Noble street, Cheapside", one line erratum on p.[xi], 5 line errata slip tipped onto erratum leaf, 4pp. of advertisements dated May 1818 at the end, some pencil underscoring, original drab boards, white label on spine printed in black, collector's blue chemise and dark blue and red morocco pull-off case, some minor spotting and foxing to text, spine previously neatly repaired, spine and label slightly worn and slightly split at head and base

Collection of Carl Bertel Northhorst; sale, Christie's London, 2 June 2004, lot 71

Hayward 232; MacGillivray 2; Tinker 232

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."

A FINE COPY OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE AUTHOR'S CELEBRATED EPIC POEM, written when Keats was 21 years old and, though condescendingly disparaged at the time by critics such as John Gibson Lockhart and John Wilson Croker (who coined the phrase the "Cockney School of Poetry"), has stood the test of time - certainly for its opening 24 lines - as containing some of the most exquisite verse Keats ever composed.