MELVILLE, HERMAN. The Whale. London: Richard Bentley 1851. 3 vols., 8vo, original blue cloth sides, stamped in blind, and cream cloth spines gilt-stamped with a sounding whale and gilt-lettered, lower edges uncut, binder's ticket of Remnant & Edmonds at inside front cover of vol. 2, light (and inoffensive) spotting to sides, black half morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION OF MOBY-DICK, published in an edition of 500 copies a month before the American and containing substantial textual differences, including the deletion of 35 passages that were restored in the New York edition; half-title in vol. 1 (none issued for the other volumes). BAL 13663; Sadleir 1685; Grolier American 60. A SUPERLATIVE COPY WITH THE GILT SPINES GLOWINGLY BRIGHT.