IRVING, WASHINGTON. Autograph manuscript of an essay "The Field of Waterloo" (originally entitled "The Battle of Waterloo"), with many deletions, emendations and revisions, n.d. [published 1825]. 8 pages, varying in size from 117 x 123mm. (4 3/16 x 4 7/8 in.) to 162 x 117mm. (6 3/8 x 4 11/16 in.), each leaf neatly inlaid to a larger sheet, written on rectos only, bound with engraved portrait and a printed copy of the essay in aubergine morocco gilt, covers, spine and turn-ins gilt, watered white silk endleaves, g.e., top of spine and a few corners worn. Irving recounts his visit to the battlefield of Waterloo as epitomizing essential differences between the French and English character. The essay was published as part of "Sketches in Paris in 1825," in the The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine Vol. 16, No. 5 and No. 6 (November and December 1840), and collected in Wolfert's Roost, 1855 (BAL 10188). A front flyleaf bears a penciled bibliographical note by George S. Helmann (editor of The Letters of Irving to Brevort, 1915 and Journals of Washington Irving, 1919), commenting that the essay is "Irving's most delightful paper referring to Napoleon"). Prose manuscripts of significant length by Irving are rare on the market.