DISRAELI, BENJAMIN | Henrietta Temple, A Love Story. London: Henry Colburn, 1837

DISRAELI, BENJAMIN

Henrietta Temple, A Love Story. London: Henry Colburn, 1837

3 volumes, 8vo. Extra-illustrated with an engraved portrait frontispiece by D'Orsay, with touches of hand-coloring, trimmed and mounted on the front blank, half-title to Vol. 1, 2pp. publisher's advertisements at rear of Vol. 3. Full green morocco bound by Bedford, covers elaborately tooled in gilt, spines with raised bands in six compartments, second and third gilt-lettered, others tooled in gilt, silk endpapers.

First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by Disraeli to Lady Cork

"[Disraeli] knew Lady Cork well, and is said to have described her accurately as 'Lady Bellair' in 'Henrietta Temple', and it is thought that Dickens drew on her for some of the features of 'Mrs. Leo Hunter' in 'Pickwick'" (DAB). An inserted autograph letter signed by M.A. Minchen details the provenance of this copy: "I am so glad you should have the books, so that they will be so beautifully bound and protected. It was given by D'Israeli to Lady Cork, who after I had sent it to her, gave it to a Mrs. Prinsep, a dear old Lady who was devoted to me. Some time before her death I called on Mrs. L., who gave me the books as a remembrance of old times."

"Few Victorian fictions are more seldom seen" (Sadleir). The last copy offered at auction was the Doheny copy (lacking the half titles, in a half binding, and not a presentation), which sold for $1,800 hammer in 1988.

A scarce work

REFERENCE:

Sadleir 714

PROVENANCE:

Mary Monckton Boyle, Countess of Cork (presentation copy inscribed by the author on the half-title) — Mrs. Prinsep — M.A. Minchen (inserted letter and inscription on the title)