Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$2823.18 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: London. Boosey and Rodwell & Martin, 1821. First edition. pp.viii, 86, 1 List of Plates. 28 plates, engraved by frontispiece drawn and engraved by Henry Moses, and twenty-six plates engraved by Moses after Professor Friedrich August Moritz Retzsch's famous 'outlines', the most enduring illustrations to Faust of the nineteenth century. Quarto. Original cloth-backed pictorial paper boards. Wear to the boards. Gift inscription to fly leaf dated. 1827. Condition. Very Good. Fore edges are deckled and browned. Coleridge insisted that he "had never put pen to paper as a translator of Faust" which does not quite accord with what Goethe wrote in a letter to his son, in 1820, saying that Coleridge was already well under way with the translation. There are various theories as to why Coleridge did not wish his name put to the translation the most plausible of which, according to Frederick Burwick and James C. McKusick, editors of the 2007 Oxford University Press edition of Faustus, was that when he first undertook to do the translation, in 1814, he did not wish to be associated with Goethe's unorthodox religious views, which is ironic given that he seemed to be making Faustian pacts of his own, not least in his increasing use of opium. A more prosaic reason is that he had already received an advance of £100 for the translation from John Murray, a figure which he considered "humiliatingly low". Only about a quarter of the play was translated into verse, in a style recognisably Coleridge's, and the rest was summarised in prose passages. Still a presentable copy of an exceedingly scarce and important first translation of one of the greatest classics every written.
Seller: Libris Books, Bristol, United Kingdom
Price: US$4000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First Edition, First Printing of this English Edition published 1821. This First edition in English of Goethe's Faust, translated by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is in excellent condition. The binding is tight with light wear to the spine and boards. The pages are clean with scattered foxing to pages. The book is complete with the plates present. There is NO writing, marks or bookplates in the book. A lovely copy Translated by Coleridge.
Seller: Magnum Opus Rare Books, Missoula, MT, U.S.A.
Price: US$4250.00 + shipping
Description: First appearance of this controversial translation, over which translation attribution is still debated. Bound in twentieth century full calf with gilt to spine, measuring 279 x 226mm. Bound without half title, otherwise collating complete including frontis and 26 plates (27 plates in all): viii, 86, [2]. A Very Good+ to Near Fine copy with minimal scuffing and wear to corners. Typical light scattered foxing throughout. Small bookbinder's ticket to front pastedown; discreet library ticket to rear pastedown "From the Collection of David & Patricia Corey" (library auctioned 30 May 2018 in Norfolk). In all, an extremely pleasing example of this classic narrative of temptation. Considered the first substantial translation into English of Goethe's work, controversy still exists over who deserves credit for it. Though Coleridge had begun a translation for John Murray in 1814, he declared that it was never completed. "In 1820, when demand was high in England for a translation to accompany Retzsch's iconic illustrations, George Soane answered the call with a series of excerpted captions. He was followed by Daniel Boileau, who contributed to the Boosey edition.both sold out quickly, but Thomas Boosey had initiated plans for a second edition of this version two months before the first edition appeared. He thus turned to Coleridge for 'friendly advice'.The new text was twenty-nine pages longer, and could be bound with the plates or separately as an original publication" (Burwick & McKusick).
Seller: Whitmore Rare Books, Inc. -- ABAA, ILAB, Pasadena, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4491.43 + shipping
Description: First edition. pp.viii, 86, 1 List of Plates. 28 plates, engraved by [Henry] Moses, from the original copper etchings which [Moritz] Ret[z]sch made for the German edition. Quarto. Original cloth-backed pictorial paper boards. Coleridge insisted that he "had never put pen to paper as a translator of Faust" which does not quite accord with what Goethe wrote in a letter to his son, in 1820, saying that Coleridge was already well under way with the translation. There are various theories as to why Coleridge did not wish his name put to the translation the most plausible of which, according to Frederick Burwick and James C. McKusick, editors of the 2007 Oxford University Press edition of Faustus, was that when he first undertook to do the translation, in 1814, he did not wish to be associated with Goethe's unorthodox religious views, which is ironic given that he seemed to be making Faustian pacts of his own, not least in his increasing use of opium. A more prosaic reason is that he had already received an advance of £100 for the translation from John Murray, a figure which he considered "humiliatingly low". Only about a quarter of the play was translated into verse, in a style recognisably Coleridge's, and the rest was summarised in prose passages. The fragile paper boards are rubbed at the edges and there is some sporadic spotting throughout, otherwise a very good copy.
Seller: Peter Ellis, Bookseller, ABA, ILAB, London, United Kingdom