Details
SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe (1792-1822). [A collection of works]. Livorno and London: 1818-1822. 7 works in 2 volumes, 8° (210 x 128mm). Later brown half morocco incorporating contemporary calf covers, spine in six compartments with raised bands (extremities scuffed). Provenance: JULIUS CHARLES HARE (1795-1855, armorial bookplates); Maurice Powell (book-labels); sale: Sotheby's 1 November 1976, lot 252; George Goyder (inscription, dated 1979).
The Collection Comprises:
Laon and Cythna; or, the revolution of the golden city: a vision of the nineteenth century. London: B. M'Millan for Sherwood, Neely & Jones and C.& J.Ollier, 1818 [watermarked 'R C 1816']. With fly-title (leaf d) to "Laon and Cythna" with Pindar quotation and errata leaf at end. (Without the preliminary advertisement-leaf, blank [b2] or final blank [S8]; spotting, marginal in the main, some heavier browning to lower parts of F8 and G1.) ONE OF SEVEN DESCRIBED COPIES OF THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Arthur Freeman has identified five (or six) distinct issues, and provided a census of the six known copies of the first issue (excluding the present copy). He demonstrates that the presence of either (or preferably both) the fly-title or the advertisement leaf are the only indicators of the first issue. In his census three copies contain both leaves, two only the fly-title and one (containing neither leaf) is a presentation copy from Shelley. Ashley V, pp.65-66.
Epipsychidion: Verses addressed to the Noble and Unfortunate Lady Emilia V_____ Now Imprisoned in the Convent of _____. London: S.& R.Bentley for C.& J.Ollier, 1821. Half-title. (Light marginal spotting.) FIRST EDITION, RARE, ONE OF ONLY 100 COPIES. Ashley V, p.77.
The Cenci. A Tragedy, in five acts. Italy [Livorno]: for C.& J.Ollier of London, 1819. (Lacking front blank.) FIRST EDITION, printed in an edition of 250 copies in 1819, but not published in England until the spring of 1820. Ashley V, p.69.
Rosalind and Helen, a modern eclogue; with other poems. London: C.H.Reynell for C.& J.Ollier, 1819 [watermarked 1817]. Half-title. (Lacks two final leaves of publisher's advertisements.) FIRST EDITION, including the first book appearance of "Ozymandias". Ashley V, p.68.
Hellas a Lyrical Drama. London: S.& R.Bentley for Charles & James Ollier, 1822. Half-title. FIRST EDITION of the last work to be published during Shelley's lifetime. Ashley V, pp.84-85.
Prometheus Unbound a Lyrical Drama... with Other Poems. London: Marchant for C.& J.Ollier, 1820. Half-title. (Lacking final advertisement leaf.) FIRST EDITION with correct spelling of Miscellaneous on contents leaf A3. Cf.Ashley V, pp.73-74.
Queen Mab. London: W.Clark, 1821. (Lacking final ?blank.) First published edition. The first edition was privately published by Shelley in 1813.
A fine selection, apparently assembled and bound in calf by Julius Hare, scholar, bibliophile (his house was described as "one vast library" [DNB], containing 14,000 volumes), and staunch supporter of the Romantic movement. The selection was later acquired by Maurice Powell who probably had them re-cased using the original covers and tipped-in small slips at the front of each volume with a manuscript contents list on each, and, in one volume, a small group of related clippings from catalogues and journals dated between 1883 and 1914. (2)
The Collection Comprises:
Laon and Cythna; or, the revolution of the golden city: a vision of the nineteenth century. London: B. M'Millan for Sherwood, Neely & Jones and C.& J.Ollier, 1818 [watermarked 'R C 1816']. With fly-title (leaf d) to "Laon and Cythna" with Pindar quotation and errata leaf at end. (Without the preliminary advertisement-leaf, blank [b2] or final blank [S8]; spotting, marginal in the main, some heavier browning to lower parts of F8 and G1.) ONE OF SEVEN DESCRIBED COPIES OF THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. Arthur Freeman has identified five (or six) distinct issues, and provided a census of the six known copies of the first issue (excluding the present copy). He demonstrates that the presence of either (or preferably both) the fly-title or the advertisement leaf are the only indicators of the first issue. In his census three copies contain both leaves, two only the fly-title and one (containing neither leaf) is a presentation copy from Shelley. Ashley V, pp.65-66.
Epipsychidion: Verses addressed to the Noble and Unfortunate Lady Emilia V_____ Now Imprisoned in the Convent of _____. London: S.& R.Bentley for C.& J.Ollier, 1821. Half-title. (Light marginal spotting.) FIRST EDITION, RARE, ONE OF ONLY 100 COPIES. Ashley V, p.77.
The Cenci. A Tragedy, in five acts. Italy [Livorno]: for C.& J.Ollier of London, 1819. (Lacking front blank.) FIRST EDITION, printed in an edition of 250 copies in 1819, but not published in England until the spring of 1820. Ashley V, p.69.
Rosalind and Helen, a modern eclogue; with other poems. London: C.H.Reynell for C.& J.Ollier, 1819 [watermarked 1817]. Half-title. (Lacks two final leaves of publisher's advertisements.) FIRST EDITION, including the first book appearance of "Ozymandias". Ashley V, p.68.
Hellas a Lyrical Drama. London: S.& R.Bentley for Charles & James Ollier, 1822. Half-title. FIRST EDITION of the last work to be published during Shelley's lifetime. Ashley V, pp.84-85.
Prometheus Unbound a Lyrical Drama... with Other Poems. London: Marchant for C.& J.Ollier, 1820. Half-title. (Lacking final advertisement leaf.) FIRST EDITION with correct spelling of Miscellaneous on contents leaf A3. Cf.Ashley V, pp.73-74.
Queen Mab. London: W.Clark, 1821. (Lacking final ?blank.) First published edition. The first edition was privately published by Shelley in 1813.
A fine selection, apparently assembled and bound in calf by Julius Hare, scholar, bibliophile (his house was described as "one vast library" [DNB], containing 14,000 volumes), and staunch supporter of the Romantic movement. The selection was later acquired by Maurice Powell who probably had them re-cased using the original covers and tipped-in small slips at the front of each volume with a manuscript contents list on each, and, in one volume, a small group of related clippings from catalogues and journals dated between 1883 and 1914. (2)