Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$650.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: The Definitive Edition of Boswell and Johnson s famous Tour to the Hebrides. The Scarce Third Edition, Second State with the fold out map of Boswell and Johnsons Tour, not present in any earlier copies. Complete with the Half Title in contemporary decorated full calf The full title reads as follows: The journal of a tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson, LL.D. By James Boswell, Esq. containing Some Poetical Pieces by Dr. Johnson, relative to the Tour, and never before published; A Series of his Conversation, Literary Anecdotes, and Opinions of Men and Books: with an authentick account of The Distresses and Escape of the Grandson of King James II. in the Year 1746. The third edition, revised and corrected. London: printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in the Poultry, MDCCLXXXVI. [1786] [ but 1791] Pagination: [4],xv,[1],442p.,fold out map. Per ESTC: A reissue of the 1786 edition with the addition of a map which is dated 10th April 1791. Pp. 47, 172, 219, and 280 are misnumbered 45, 72, 21, and 80 respectively . With final advertisement leaf for The Life of Samuel Johnson not mentioned in ESTC, Binding measures 22 x 13.5 x 3.5. Each leaf measures 211 x 125 cm. Bound in contemporary sprinkled calf, smooth spine, gilt in compartments with urn tools and red morocco label. In very good condition. The front hinge for the top board has cracked, but the hinge itself continues to hold very firmly. The boards show little to moderate wear at the edges and corners. The volume is in excellent condition internally, with clean pages, clear print and ample margins throughout. Closed tear to signature 2G1 extending through headline into text, bookplate of William Scott Kerr of Chatto laid in, front pastedown partially abraded, The Half-title is present.
Seller: Third Floor Rare Books, Carp, ON, Canada
Price: US$3940.50 + shipping
Description: 1791. Hardcover. Early full calf, rebacked preserving original spines. Some wear to binding, but nicely restored and preserved. First edition, second state (with give corected at p. 135). Engraved portrait in vol. I; two engraved plates in volume II. Text is clean and clear, with wide margins. No bookplates or other ownership markings. A very sound and attractive copy. Very Good.
Seller: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Price: US$4000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition. Two volumes. First state with "gve" p.135:10 in first volume. Engraved portrait of Johnson after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I and two engraved plates in Volume II, as called for (facing pp. 92 and "588"). Quarto (4to), full-leather sympathetically recased with original contemporaneous mottled calf laid down, new gilt-ruled leather spines with gilt-lettered black leather title and volume labels supplied. Text blocks appear to have been trimmed approximately 1/8" on tops, bottoms and fore edges, Foxing to plates and opposing pages, otherwise both volumes are quite clean. Housed in lightly worn custom half-morocco slipcase and chemise. BOSWELL'S JOHNSON, THE MOST CELEBRATED BIOGRAPHY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Seller: Quill & Brush, member ABAA, Middletown, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$4250.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition. 4to. Two volumes. Contemporary attractive speckled calf, spine in 6 compartments with 5 raised bands gilt, red and black leather lettering-pieces gilt (re-backed preserving original boards. FIRST EDITION, second issue of the most celebrated biography in the English language, with ìgiveî on p.135 of Vol. I, the initial blank in vol. II, and all 7 cancels. Engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved plates of facsimiles by H. Shepherd. (Vol. I title-page reinforced at gutter, some light soiling, a few tiny mostly marginal wormholes, marginal tear with loss not affecting text to [X3] in vol. II.), joints cracking, some light chipping); brown cloth slipcase. A splendid copy of a significant book.
Seller: Nudelman Rare Books, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: Two vols., 4tos; 516 & 588pp; contemporay mottled calf, recased with spine label; inner hinges reinforced. First state of the classic work that founded the modern notion of biography, with "gve" on p. 135, all cancels, the fronispiece portrait after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Vol. I and the "Round Robin" and facsmile plates in Vol. II. A serviceable set. 1869 ownership signatures in each volume; chip to one margin in Vol. I about the size of a thumb-joint, not affecting any text; maringal annotation to another page in Vol. I; some pages with creased corners and occasional marks, scattered foxing -- not too obtrusive -- and some faint dampstains in lower margins; covers heavily rubbed.
Seller: Locus Solus Rare Books (ABAA, ILAB), Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, "gve" uncorrected at line 10 on p. 135 in vol. I, and with the usual cancels (Mm4 and Nn1 in vol. I, E3, Oo4, Qq3 in vol. II). Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds, 2 other engraved plates. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e. 586] pp. 2 vols. 4to. Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Grolier English 131 Old calf, a.e.g. Neatly rebacked with gilt spines in period style. Bookplates of Nicholas Frederic Brady. Near fine (occasional light traces of foxing) Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds, 2 other engraved plates. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e. 586] pp. 2 vols. 4to First edition, "gve" uncorrected at line 10 on p. 135 in vol. I, and with the usual cancels (Mm4 and Nn1 in vol. I, E3, Oo4, Qq3 in vol. II).
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$5000.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two volumes. 4to. Pp. xii, [16], 3-516; [1], 2-588, [2]. Engraved portrait frontis. after Sir Joshua Reynolds, in the first volume. Second volume illustrated with two plates of Dr. Johnson's handwriting in facsimile. Marbled endpapers. Full speckled calf with gilt filigree borders and inner dentelles, rebacked in period style; repaired corners. Two bookplates: "The High Canon's Library" and "Malo Mori Quam Foedari," possibly the plate of Cardinal Henry Edward Manning. Interiors quite nice. First edition, first state with "gve" (in lieu of "give") on p.135 of Vol. I.Boswell's achievement was not to simply capture the brilliance and wit of his subject, but to provide through meticulous scholarship the complexities of Johnson amid the literary realm of his era.Provenance: Sold at the 1922 Sotheby's sale of The Valuable Library . of the Late Baroness Burdett Coutts.
Seller: Long Brothers Fine & Rare Books, ABAA, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
Price: US$5250.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, the so-called second state with "give" reading on p. 135 in vol. I, 2 volumes, 4to, pp. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588; engraved portrait frontispiece by Heath after Joshua Reynolds, and with the Round Robin plate, and the plate showing facsimile signatures of Johnson; nice copy in contemporary full calf neatly and pleasingly rebacked sometime in the 20th century, preserving the old red and black morocco labels on spine; all the standard cancels are present, per Pottle. Regarding the "give" (versus "gve") reading, Pottle notes that the "booksellers have given this rather uninteresting 'point' more attention than it deserves." Celebrated for its intimacy and vividness, Boswell's Life of Johnson "is one of the best books in the world. It is assuredly a great, very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of the heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of the dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of the orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). Grolier, English 100, no. 65; Rothschild 463; Pottle 79.
Seller: Rulon-Miller Books (ABAA / ILAB), St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.
Price: US$5500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition, first state of S4r with "gve" for "give". Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds, 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e. 586] pp. 2 vols. 4to. Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Grolier English 65 Bound in contemporary brown mottled calf, rebacked with original red and green labels on spine laid down. Bookplate of John Mountenay Lely (1839-1907) and Robert McKinlay. In open-faced blue cloth slipcsae Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds, 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e. 586] pp. 2 vols. 4to First Edition, first state of S4r with "gve" for "give".
Seller: James Cummins Bookseller, ABAA, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$5774.69 + shipping
Description: First edition of the greatest biography in the English language. It was published in a run of 1,750 copies on 16 May 1791, the 28th anniversary of Boswell's first meeting with Johnson. The immense task of compiling the thousands of notes Boswell had recorded on "the great man's talk, habits and opinions" was begun after Johnson's death in 1784. Made up of trifling incidents as well as the significant events in Johnson's life, the work sold 800 copies in the first two weeks of publication and remains a masterpiece of portraiture. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). "Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). This copy has all the usual cancels and, with one exception, all the misprints as called for by Pottle; here, vol. I, p. 135 is in the second, corrected state, with "give" on line ten. Pottle rightly observes that "the booksellers have given this rather uninteresting 'point' more attention than it deserves. There are probably varying states of some of the other leaves" (p. 151). As corrections were made in the press, the misprints are variant states for individual sheets, and do not indicate priority of issue for any copy. Courtney 172; ESTC T64481; Grolier English 100, 54; NCBEL II, p. 1214; Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Tinker 338. 2 volumes, quarto (273 x 192 mm). Mid 20th-century speckled calf to style for Brentano's, smooth spines with two red labels, central compartments stamped with gilt urn device within decorative border, first and final compartments with gilt cross-hatch pattern, triple gilt fillets on covers enclosing wide anthemion roll, board edges and turn-ins decorated in gilt, green endpapers, edges gilt. Stipple-engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds and 2 engraved plates by H. Shepherd reproducing manuscripts in facsimile. Vol. II bound without original first blank. Couple of scuffs and spots of rubbing to leather, scattered light foxing to contents; vol. I, p. 48 with neat correction to text by an early reader, pp. 131-4 soiled; vol. II with tiny faint splash mark to title page margin. A very good copy, attractively bound.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
BOSWELL, James.. The Life of Samuel Johnson.. , 1791.
Price: US$6157.11 + shipping
Description: London: Henry Baldwin, [1791]. Two vols. 4to. Rebound full calf; raised bands to spines, ruled in gilt, spines lettered and ornamented in gilt; speckled edges; marbled endpapers; pp. xii, [xvi], 516; [iv], 588; engraved frontispiece in vol. I of Johnson by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds; with two facsimile plates, one showing Johnson's handwriting; minimal rubbing to hinges of spines; internally clean; a very good set. First edition, second issue, with the 'give' printed on p. 135. Widely praised since its publication, Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson provides an entertaining in-depth account of Johnson, based on material kept in Boswell's diaries. Extensive in both size and subject, this work provides intricate details about arguably one of the most important literary figures of the eighteenth century. "The Life of Samuel Johnson" by James Boswell is a seminal biographical work that has left an indelible mark on the world of literature and biography. First published in 1791, this biography is a comprehensive and intimate portrait of Samuel Johnson, a towering figure in 18th-century English literature, known as "Dr. Johnson." James Boswell, a Scottish lawyer and writer, was not only a close friend of Johnson but also his dedicated chronicler, and this work is a testament to their enduring friendship. Boswell's biography is a meticulously detailed account of Johnson's life, beginning with his early years and tracing his journey through the intellectual and literary circles of the time. It explores Johnson's upbringing, his struggles with poverty, and his remarkable literary achievements. Boswell's narrative is peppered with direct quotations from Johnson and their conversations, allowing readers to not only understand Johnson's life but to hear his unique voice and wit. The work provides a glimpse into Johnson's relationships with other notable figures of his time, including the likes of Joshua Reynolds and Edmund Burke, further enriching the historical and cultural context of the narrative. This work offers valuable insights into 18th-century England, its intellectual and social life, and the burgeoning literary scene, giving readers a deeper understanding of the historical context in which Johnson lived and worked. Additionally, Boswell's approach to biography, which combines personal observation, interviews, and correspondence, has had a profound influence on the way biographies are written, becoming a standard practice in the genre. It also serves as a historical and cultural document, offering a window into 18th-century England, the emergence of modern literary criticism, and the challenges faced by writers of the time. This work continues to be a cornerstone in the world of biography and literature, and its cultural significance endures through the ages, and without it, our contemporary understanding of the character of Johnson would be far less detailed.
Seller: Henry Sotheran Ltd, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$6352.16 + shipping
Description: xii, [16] contents & errata, 516pp; [2], 588 [i.e. 586]pp, engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds, two engraved plates, one with facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting, the other a 'Round Robin' plate also with facsimile signatures. 4to. A nice clean copy. BOUND WITH: The Principal Corrections and Additions to the First Edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. [ii], 42pp. 4to. 1793. All bound in a single volume of recent handsome half speckled calf, gilt spine, red morocco label, marbled paper boards. ESTC T64481 (The Life of.), FIRST EDITION, mixed states, with the correct spelling 'give' in Vol. I, page 135. All the other points are in first issue state. ['dele out' in errata page; 'upon' repeated, p.48, line 8 from the foot; 'reollection' p.115, line 8 from foot; 'exhihited' p.117, line 2 from foot; 'condescente' p.275, line 2 from foot; 'Harvey' p.291, line 9 from foot.] In Vol. II all the misnumbered pages are uncorrected. The following typographical errors in the text as noted by Pottle are uncorrected: Vol. I, 'painted' vs. 'printed' p.78, line 23; 'MDCCLXXXIV' vs. 'MDCCLXXIV' p.92, line 6; 'us' omitted before 'enquire' p.352, line 11; Vol. II, 'composition' wrongly noted as 'Imposition' in the errata; 'mother tongue (i.e. not hyphenated) p.562, line 3 from foot. The error 'Wlliam' p.275, line 12, has been corrected. ESTC (Principal Corrections.) T9706, FIRST EDITION.
Seller: Jarndyce, The 19th Century Booksellers, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$7378.78 + shipping
Description: First edition of the greatest biography in the English language, "one of Western literature's most germinal achievements" (ODNB). The immense task of compiling the thousands of notes Boswell had recorded on "the great man's talk, habits and opinions" was begun after Johnson's death in 1784. Made up of trifling incidents as well as the significant events in Johnson's life, the work sold 800 copies in the first two weeks of publication and remains a masterpiece of portraiture. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). "Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). This copy has all the usual cancels and misprints as called for by Pottle, aside from vol. I, p. 135 with the corrected state "give" on line ten. As corrections were made in the press, the misprints are variant states for individual sheets, and do not indicate priority of issue for any copy. Provenance: bookplate of William Lewis Hughes, Lord Dinorben (1767-1852) to the front pastedowns. Dinorben built huge wealth through the Llysdulas estate on Anglesey, where he operated the largest copper mine in Europe. He was MP for Wallingford from 1802 to 1831, afterwards raised to the peerage. Courtney 172; ESTC T64481; Grolier English 100, 54; NCBEL II, p. 1214; Pottle, Literary Career of James Boswell 79; Rothschild 463; Tinker 338. 2 volumes, quarto (281 x 218 mm). Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked with the original spines laid down, twin green and morocco labels, gilt in compartments. Stipple-engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved plates by H. Shepherd reproducing manuscripts in facsimile. Bound without initial blank in Vol. II. Slight rubbing and very minor wear to corners. Vol. I with discreet repair in inner margin of frontispiece and title page, repair to short closed tear at head of pp. xi-xii, unrepaired closed tear at fore edge of pp. 317-8, discolouration at foot in inner margin towards beginning and end; contents of both volumes otherwise clean with sporadic light foxing. A very good copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$7378.78 + shipping
Description: First edition; this a handsomely bound and notably wide-margined copy, just a little short of copies that we have handled in the original boards. "Boswell's Life of Johnson remains the most famous biography in any language, one of Western literature's most germinal achievements" (ODNB). The immense task of compiling the thousands of notes Boswell had recorded on "the great man's talk, habits and opinions" was begun after Johnson's death in 1784. Made up of trifling incidents as well as the significant events in Johnson's life, the work remains a masterpiece of portraiture. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). "Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). This copy has p. 135, vol. 1, in the first, uncorrected state, reading "gve"; in volume two, pages 78, 92, 275, and 352 are in their first, uncorrected states. The usual cancels, outlined by Pottle, are present. Corrections were made in press, and 1,750 copies were available on publication day, 16 May 1791, the 28th anniversary of Boswell's first meeting with Johnson. Of these, 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks. Loosely inserted is a copy of A. Edward Newton's quarto leaflet reproducing the uncorrected vol. II, p. 302, inscribed (with his initials) in 1933 to another collector. The original text contained Johnson's controversial remarks on marital infidelity, and is known in only a few copies. Provenance: with gilt morocco bookplate in each volume ("Omnia Pro Bono H.M.") of Harold Murdock (1862-1934), Boston banker, book collector, historian of the American Revolution, and director of Harvard University Press. Courtney 172; Grolier, English, 54; Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Tinker 338. 2 volumes, quarto (293 x 225 mm). Early 20th-century brown morocco by Riviere & Son, spines lettered in gilt, compartments, covers, and turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Portrait frontispiece engraved by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved plates by H. Shepherd. Text printed on pale blue paper. A few minor scratches to binding, spines a little sunned, contents with occasional light foxing, skilful restoration to upper outer corner of frontispiece and initial 5 leaves in vol. I, infill to small wormhole to title page of vol. II, a little cracked preceding title page in vol. I and before main contents in vol. II, still firm. A very attractive copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$7450.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: xii, [16], 516; 586 pages; with fronispiece portrait in Vol. I, Round Robin and facsimile of Johnson's handwriting in II. First issue, with "gve" on page 135 of Vol. I. Contemporary marbled calf, rebacked, with gilt tooling in compartments, contrasting spine labels, corners restored. Intermittent light foxing throughout, 1cm tideline along fore-edge of textblock of Vol. I (not penetrating to margin), small marginal stains on final leaves of Vol. I, not affecting text. With Paul Lockwood's [Abelard Books] c.1980 catalogue description laid in: "Despite minor faults, overall an exceptionally clean and elegantly bound copy of the greatest of all biographies in the English language."
Seller: The Odd Book (ABAC, ILAB), Wolfville, NS, Canada
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, first state, of this landmark work in the history of biography, an engaging and humanizing account of the great critic, lexicographer, and author of the Georgian era. Samuel Johnson's dictionary was without precedent in English in scale and depth of research. Johnson also used the dictionary as an opportunity to editorialize and reinforce his reputation; as did Boswell in his LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. Boswell carefully selected (and sometimes censored) the anecdotes, diary entries, and correspondence that make up this biography in order to position Johnson as a moral and almost mythological figure - a practice that would later move to the forefront of historiography as the Great Man theory. A clean copy of a benchmark in modern literature and biography. Two quarto volumes, 10.75'' x 8.75'' each. Full contemporary tree calf, sympathetically rebacked and recornered. Volume 1 illustrated with engraved frontispiece of Johnson, volume 2 with 2 engraved plates. Typographical error "gve" on page I.135. xii, [16], 516; 588 pages, collated complete. Scattered pencil marginal marks. Bindings with expert repairs to edges, mild rubbing. Leaves with scattered foxing, largely confined to margins; a couple leaves with tiny closed tears. Firm and clean.
Seller: Type Punch Matrix, Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
Price: US$7500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: 4to. 28.5 by 23 cm. Frontis portrait of Johnson after Reynolds painting, engraved by J. Heath. Title, Dedication to Reynolds -- vii, Table of Contents unpaginated, with Corrections and Additions [16], 1-516, second title, Advertisement -- pagination to xii, 1-588 pp., followed by Facsimles of Johnson's hand writing plate. Round Robin plate also present -- Vol. 2, by p. 92. First issue -- "gve in second indented quote line, p. 135. Condition: morocco of bindings with some wear -- typical rubbing along joints, some along raised bands. Interior: scattered mostly light foxing, generally by upper and lower margins or early and final leaves, and here and there elsewhere, but overall a clean-ish copy, and few would find such soiling disconcerting, we believe. A very handsome copy of this classic, seminal, and really sui generis biogaphy of the great Dr. Johnson, that more than simply a recounting of his life, captures his personality and originality. And a work in which Dr. Johnson can entertain us, more than two centuries later, almost as if we were present as he was holding forth. Half Morocco. Paper pastedown on boards. Custom cloth slipcase, custom cloth dust jacket
Seller: White Fox Rare Books, ABAA/ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$8500.00 + shipping
Description: 2 volumes. Engraved frontispiece portrait by Heath after Reynolds. Two additional plates are present - "Round Robin" and "Facsimiles of Dr. Johnson's Hand Writing". xii, [16], 516; [2], 588pp. Thick 4to, original calf covers, expertly recased in similar brown morocco, gilt-decorated spine with red and brown leather labels (light scattered foxing). London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1791. First edition. A very nice copy with wide margins. First Edition, first issue of which only 1750 were printed [with "give" mis-spelled on p135 of first volume. Errors in pagination on pages 229, 408, 497, 504, and 584-7 in second volume]. In this copy, through a binder's error, signature C (p.9-16) in the first volume is duplicated.
Seller: Argosy Book Store, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$9500.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain, for near half a century, during which he flourished. 2 volumes. Engraved frontispiece portrait. Thick 4to, handsomely rebound in 3/4 red morocco; gilt-decorated spines with raised bands, a.e.g. London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1791. First Edition, later issue. Fine. Final three pages of vol. II mispaginated.
Seller: Argosy Book Store, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$9500.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition, First Issue of Boswell's Life Of Johnson Together With The Excessively Rare 'The Principal Corrections and Additions' Bound in at the End of Volume Two BOSWELL, James. The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Comprehending an Account of his Studies and Numerous Works, in Chronological Order; a Series of his Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of his Composition, Never Before Published. The Whole Exhibiting a View of Literature and Literary Men in Great-Britain, for Near Half a Century, during which He Flourished. In Two Volumes. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, 1791. First edition, first issue, with "gve" for "give" in the uncorrected state (line 10 on p. 135 in Volume I) and all of the errata uncorrected. Two quarto volumes (10 3/4 x 8 7/16 inches; 274 x 216 mm.). vii, [1, blank], [ix-xii], [16, "Table of Contents" and "Corrections and Additions"], 516; [2], 588 [i.e. 586] pp. Engraved frontispiece by James Heath from a portrait of Johnson by Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I, two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. ("Round Robin." facing p. 92 and "Fac Similes of Dr. Johnson's hand writing" facing p. 588). Together with [at the end of volume II] BOSWELL, James. The Principal Corrections and Additions to the first edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1793. [Title, verso blank], 42 pp. Bound by Rivière & Son ca. 1910 in full mottled calf, covers with triple gilt rules. Spines with five raised bands, decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments, red and brown morocco labels lettered in gilt, gilt ruled board edges, decorative gilt turn-ins, marbled end-papers, all edges gilt. Expertly rebacked and corners strengthened (over fifty years ago) with original spines laid down. Occasional light foxing or staining to a few leaves, otherwise a fine copy of the first issue with the exceptionally rare Principal Corrections and Additions bound in at the end of volume two. "The work [The Principal Corrections and Additions] is now difficult to obtain; when it turns up it is almost invariably bound in with a copy of the first edition of the Life." (Pottle, p. 212). This was Boswell's last publication before his death in 1795. The 'gve' or 'give' question. "Of the four copies in the British Museum, two have one reading and two the other. There can be little doubt that 'gve' is the earlier state. The first proof shows the word correctly spelled, but the lines are punctuated as follows: 'Short, O short! then be thy reign, "And give us to the world again.' Boswell passed this in the proof, but in the revise (both proof and revise are in the possession of Mr. Adam) he directed the printer to remove the exclamation point in the first line and substitute it for the first period at the end of the second, which is in fact the punctuation of the printed text. When the changes were made the 'i' dropped out, and the printer, not noticing what had happened, filled up the line by inserting a space between 'gve' and 'us'. After a considerable part of the edition had been printed, the error was discovered and corrected in the press." (Frederick Albert Pottle. The Literary Career of James Boswell, p. 151). The correct first issue as here reads" "Short, O short then be thy reign, "And gve us to the world again!" Boswell's biography of Johnson is a classic of the genreâ"a full, candid account of the life of one of the most famous eighteenth-century writers and thinkers by another. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). Courtney & Nichol Smith, pp. 172-3. Grolier, 100 English, 65. Pottle 79 & 113. Rothschild 464 & 466. Sterling 71. Tinker 338.
Seller: David Brass Rare Books, Inc., Calabasas, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$9600.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: 2 Volumes. 4to. pp. xii, [16]contents & errata, 516; 1 p.l., 588 [ie. 586]. engraved frontis. portrait of Johnson by J.Heath after a painting by Joshua Reynolds. 2 engraved plates (facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting & a 'Round Robin' with facsimiles of signatures). contemporary sprinkled calf, rebacked, corners renewed (some light scattered foxing throughout - frontis. more heavily affected, lower blank corner of final leaf defective). First Edition of the most celebrated biography in English literature, with S4r, Vol. I, in the corrected state, reading in line 10 'give' rather than 'gve'; with all the cancels (2 in Vol. I & 5 in Vol. II) and misprints listed by Pottle. Grolier, One Hundred Books Famous In English Literature, 65. NCBEL II 1214. Pottle 79. Rothschild 463 (1st Issue).
Seller: D & E LAKE LTD. (ABAC/ILAB), Toronto, ON, Canada
Price: US$9624.49 + shipping
Description: "The Life": first edition. Two Volumes. 4to (272x210mm). pp. xii, [16], 516: [2], 588 [i.e. 586]; [2], 1-42. In volume I, duplicates of pp153-56 and pp. 157-60 are bound between pp146-47 and pp150-51 respectively but it is complete. The scarce "Corrections and Additions" are bound in at the end of volume II. Engraved frontispiece portrait by J. Heath from Reynolds's portrait. Two plates with facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting in volume II (between pp92-3 and after final page). "give" is correctly spelt at line 10 of p135 of volume I but other misprints usually attributed to the first issue are uncorrected so this is a mixed first and second issue. However, the better (i.e. Pottle's) view is that the misprints or corrections simply reflect the states for individual sheets and one cannot, from these, assert an issue priority for any copy as a whole. The folding map of Scotland from the Tour of the Hebrides has been bound into volume I. Front pastedown of both volumes has book labels of James Mill London (not that Mill, sadly), B. and M. Leslie and the ownership inscription of J. Innes. Bound in contemporary speckled calf, flat spine with black morocco label lettered in gilt, joints strengthened. Some slight scratching to the covers. Housed in brown cloth covered box with a little rubbing and scuffing to the extremities. Internally, there is a little foxing in places but otherwise this is a very good copy of perhaps the most celebrated biography in English. Macaulay famously described Boswell as "the first of biographers", pre-eminent in his field as Homer, Shakespeare and Demosthenes are in theirs. Indeed. That Johnson, his own works so rarely read now, has such a vivid place in our minds is due entirely to this brilliant work.
Seller: Voewood Rare Books. ABA. ILAB. PBFA, Holt, United Kingdom
Price: US$10907.76 + shipping
Description: First edition of the greatest biography in the English language, "one of Western literature's most germinal achievements" (ODNB). Contemporary copies of Boswell's Life of Johnson bound in one are unusual, but the book is perfectly manageable - indeed rather handsome - as a single volume. The copy includes the additions and corrections to the work, issued separately and not often found. The immense task of compiling the thousands of notes Boswell had recorded on "the great man's talk, habits and opinions" was begun after Johnson's death in 1784. Made up of trifling incidents as well as the significant events in Johnson's life, the work sold 800 copies in the first two weeks of publication and remains a masterpiece of portraiture. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). "Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). This copy has all the usual cancels and misprints as called for by Pottle, including vol. I, p. 135 with the uncorrected state "gve" on line ten. As corrections were made in the press, the misprints are variant states for individual sheets, and do not indicate priority of issue for any copy. "The Principal Corrections and Additions to the first edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson" were published in 1793. It is here divided in two parts and bound at the end of each respective volumes. The corrections were Boswell's last publication and were issued simultaneously with the second edition of the Life, to allow owners of the first edition to have the additions without needing to purchase the subsequent edition. Courtney 172; ESTC T64481; Grolier English 100, 54; NCBEL II, p. 1214; Pottle, Literary Career of James Boswell 79; Rothschild 463; Tinker 338. 2 volumes bound in one, quarto (280 x 215 mm). Contemporary russia, sympathetically rebacked, spine lettered and decorated in gilt with place and date at foot, covers with wide gilt border, inner turn-ins attractively gilt with roundels, marbled endpapers and edges. Stipple-engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved plates by H. Shepherd reproducing manuscripts in facsimile. Later collector's label to front free endpaper verso (Lewis Raddon). Corners skilfully restored, a little mostly marginal foxing, neat repair to short closed tear at fore edge of second title page: an excellent copy.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom
Price: US$13750.00 + shipping
Description: 2 volumes. First Edition, First Issue, with 'gve' on p.135 of the first volume; Mm4 and Nn1 in Volume I and E3, Qq3, and Eee2 in Volume II are cancels as called for. With round robin plate, signatures page, portrait frontispiece. 4to (275 x 210 mm.), full contemporary mottled calf, the spines with raised bands separating the compartments, the bands ruled in gilt, two compartments with terra-cotta-red morocco lettering labels gilt, the covers with double gilt fillet rules at the borders, gilt tooled edges, original endleaves. xii, (16), 516; 588 pp. A handsome and fine set with the bindings in excellent condition, sometime expertly and very sympathetically renewed at the spines to style. A very pleasing set quite clean and crisp throughout. IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE IN PLEASING CONDITION. Celebrated for its intimacy and vividness, Boswell's Life of Johnson "is one of the best books in the world. It is assuredly a great, very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic Poets,--Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of Dramatists,--Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of Orators, than Boswell is the first of Biographers." (Macauley, in the Edinburgh Review, 1831). Boswell learned a great deal about the art of biography from his subject, and brought to his task boundless curiosity, persistence, and zest. Boswell had been collecting material for this work since his first interview with Johnson in 1763, and was confident that his kind of biography, "which gives not only a History of Johnson's visible progress through the world, and of his publications, but a view of his mind in his letters and conversations, is the most perfect that can be conceived, and will be more of a Life than any work that has ever yet appeared." He said too that: "A sanction to my faculty of giving a just representation of Dr. Johnson I could not conceal. Nor will I suppress my satisfaction in the consciousness, that by recording so considerable a portion of the wit and wisdom of the brightest ornament of the eigteenth century, I have largely provided for the instruction and entertainment of mankind." If Boswell does indulge in a little harmless flattery to himself, the concluding words of his preface are literally true, for Boswells Johnson, as much as any other book, "has largely provided for the instruction and entertainment of mankind." Only 1750 copies of the first edition were printed.
Seller: Buddenbrooks, Inc., Newburyport, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$14000.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: First edition, Second issue with the "give" reading on page 135, line 10 of Volume One. Two volumes; 8 1/2 inches x 11 in., frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting; xii, [16], 516 pp.; 588 pp. With two engraved illustrations in Volume Two: "The Round Robin" at p. 92, and the "facsimiles" of Dr. Johnson's handwriting, at p. 588. The cancelled leaves are present in both volumes. Light brown polished calf spines, sides and corner-pieces, with five raised bands on the spines, gilt titling and floral decorations, and marbled paper over boards, with matching marbled endpapers, and all the edges also marbled. The frontispiece and title-page of Volume One show some tan spotting, a stain to the lower corner, a little, occasional light tan spotting to some page margins, some rubbing to the leather spines, cover edges. Generally, a clean and well-margined set. With the engraved (Cleveland Cliffs Iron scene) bookplate of Samuel Mather (1851-1931), and a signed, 1932 note from his brother, Cleveland, Ohio based book collector, William G. Mather, regarding the book. Overall, a near fine set. Weight: 7 lbs
Seller: Peter Keisogloff Rare Books, Inc., Brecksville, OH, U.S.A.
Price: US$15000.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue of both volumes ofÂthe most celebrated biography in the English language, whichÂwas published on May 16, 1791 in a print runÂof only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in full calf, gilt titles to the spine, morocco spine labels. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. In very good condition. An excellent example of this landmark work. âBoswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation⦠It was a crucial part of Boswellâs magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait, together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture, that made him⦠âthe Shakespeare of biographersâ (Baugh et al., 1065-66). "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." (Gordon Turnbull, Oxford DNB).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$16500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue of both volumes ofÂthe most celebrated biography in the English language, whichÂwas published on May 16, 1791 in a print runÂof only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in full morocco by Birdsall, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, inner dentelles, all edges gilt. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. Housed in a custom clamshell box. In fine condition. An excellent example of this landmark work. âBoswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation⦠It was a crucial part of Boswellâs magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait, together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture, that made him⦠âthe Shakespeare of biographersâ (Baugh et al., 1065-66). "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." (Gordon Turnbull, Oxford DNB).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$17500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue of both volumes ofÂthe most celebrated biography in the English language, whichÂwas published on May 16, 1791 in a print runÂof onlyÂ1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. Volume one is the first state with the word âgiveâ reading on page 135, line 10. First state of volume two, with two engraved illustrations, âThe Round Robinâ at p. 92, and the âfacsimilesâ of Dr. Johnson's handwriting on p. 588. In near fine condition with light toning, an excellent example of this landmark work. âBoswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation⦠It was a crucial part of Boswellâs magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait, together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture, that made him⦠âthe Shakespeare of biographersâ (Baugh et al., 1065-66). "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." (Gordon Turnbull, Oxford DNB).
Seller: Raptis Rare Books, Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.
Price: US$17500.00 + shipping
Description: First edition, first issue, with "give" spelled "gve" in line 10 on p. 135 of Volume I and with all of the peculiarities cited by Pottle for the first issue, including the several uncorrected errors listed for Volume II and the various cancels. Two quarto volumes (11 3/4 x 9 1/16 inches; 297 x 230 mm.; the same dimensions Pottle gives for 'an entirely uncut copy' ). xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e., 586] pp. Engraved frontispiece portrait by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I, two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. Bound without the front blank in Volume II. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Neatly rebacked to style, preserving the original gilt spine and burgundy and black morocco gilt lettering labels. A few minor marginal paper flaws, not affecting text. Some rubbing to boards and light tip wear. Overall, a fine set in the original binding and entirely uncut, Courtney & Nichol Smith, pp. 172-173. Grolier, 100 English, 65. Pottle 79. Rothschild 463-465. Sterling 71. Tinker 338. HBS 68052. $17,500.
Seller: Heritage Book Shop, ABAA, Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.A.
Price: US$23098.78 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: [with tipped in Boswell autograph]. FIRST EDITION, Second issue (reading "give" spelled correctly on p.135). 2 Volumes. 4to. Vol. 1: Engraved frontispiece portrait. (2), iv-xii, (8), 516 pp.; [A4], [-2], A-B4, B-Zz4, 3A-3T4, 3U2; Vol. 2: (2), 588 pp. [A]2, B-4E4, 4F1. [A]1 blank. Engraved plates facing N2v (p. 92) and 4F1v (p. 588). Vol. 2 lacking initial blank; occasional marginal pencil notes (vol. 2). Small leather bookplate of Barton Currie to front pastedowns of both volumes; small newspaper clipping pasted to rear pastedown (vol. 2). Occasional faint spotting; untrimmed pages. Contemporary original marbled paper boards with contemporary brown calf spine; original red morocco spine labels with gilt lettering; insignificant light rubbing; hinges a little tender. Housed in a modern morocco-backed drop-back box. A fine copy. Rothschild 463. Untrimmed and in a beautiful and extremely well-preserved contemporary binding, this is a superb and exquisite FIRST EDITION of one of the most famous literary biographies ever published. It comes from the collection of the prominent American journalist and avid and distinguished bibliophile Barton Currie. This attractive copy includes the wonderful engraved portrait of Johnson made by J. Heath after the famous painting by Joshua Reynolds and two other beautifully engraved plates a facsimiles of Johnson s handwriting and a Round Robin with facsimiles of signatures. Boswell s The Life of Samuel Johnson is considered by some as one of the greatest biographies ever written in the English language. Boswell's personal acquaintance with Johnson began in 1763, and the author covered the entirety of Johnson's life by means of additional research. The biography does indeed take many critical liberties with Johnson s life, since Boswell makes some changes to Johnson s quotations and even censors many comments. This is why some contemporary critics have stated that it cannot be considered a proper biography. However, the book is valued as both an important source of information on Johnson and his times, as well as an important work of English literature.
Seller: Symonds Rare Books Ltd, London, United Kingdom
Boswell, James. The Life of Samuel Johnson. Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, London, 1791.
Price: US$29999.40 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Full leather with elegant gilt decorations within the compartments on the spine. First Edition, First Issue with "gve" on p. 135. Provenance: On the title pages of both volumes is: “P W Baker Ranston 1793.” The signer was Peter William Baker, a man of cultivated tastes who purchased Ranston House at Iwerne Courtney (Dorset). The books were probably inherited by his son, Sir Edward Baker Littlehales, who rose through the military ranks to become secretary to Lord Cornwallis and wrote about a trip to Detroit in the United States, but no evidence reflects that although small bookplates have been removed from inside the front cover. Inside the cover of both volumes can be found the armorial bookplates of Sir Edward Baker, the son of Sir Edward Baker Littlehales. Most recently the books were purchased from the library of notable book collector Sydney Ross. Boswell’s Johnson has often been called the finest biography in the English language. Very Good.
Seller: Pride and Prejudice-Books, Ballston Lake, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$44914.29 + shipping
Description: First edition. Two volumes, quarto (295mm x 225mm). Original publisher's blue-grey paper boards, manuscript titles to spine. Uncut. First issue, with "gve" on page 135 of the first volume. All seven cancels present as usual, though lacking the preliminary blank in the second volume. A fine copy of a work rarely encountered in an original state. The boards are worn at the corners, with some soiling to the covers and minor repairs to the joints. Internally the pages are unpressed and uncut. There is a repaired closed tear to the margin of the frontispiece, very minor marginal worming from Mm-Ccc. Housed in custom made fleece-lined chemise and cloth slipcase. Engraved frontispiece of the subject to volume I, engraved 'Round Robin' plate and facsimile of Johnson's handwriting to rear of volume II. The Life Of Johnson was published on 16th May 1791 priced at two guineas and issued in the blue-grey boards of the present copy. Though the first edition comprised 1,750 sets of sheets, copies in the original boards are uncommon and usually feature far more repair than in the present example. The work was an immediate commercial success, and paved the way for modern biography. Even Thomas Macauley, who published a now infamous review of a new edition of Boswell's Life Of Johnson in 1831 that did little for either Boswell's or Johnson's nineteenth century reputation, was forced to admit that "The Life of Johnson is assuredly a great, a very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakspeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers. He has no second. He has distanced all his competitors so decidedly that it is not worth while to place them." Pottle 79, Rothschild 463, Grolier English Literature.
Seller: Jonkers Rare Books, Henley on Thames, OXON, United Kingdom
Price: US$54538.78 + shipping
Description: First edition, first state (p. 135, vol. 1, uncorrected, reading "gve"), of the most famous biography in any language. The immense task of compiling the thousands of notes Boswell had recorded on "the great man's talk, habits and opinions" was begun after Johnson's death in 1784. Made up of trifling incidents as well as the significant events in Johnson's life, the work remains a masterpiece of portraiture. "The Life of Johnson was no single book miraculously produced by an inexperienced author. It was the crowning achievement of an artist who for more than twenty-five years had been deliberately disciplining himself for such a task" (Pottle, p. xxi). "Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers" (Macaulay). This copy has p. 135, vol. 1, in the uncorrected first state, reading "gve". Some copies were corrected in the press to "give", and 1,750 copies in either state were available on publication day, 16 May 1791 (800 were sold in the first two weeks). Courtney 172; Grolier, English 54; Rothschild 463; Pottle 79; Tinker 338. 2 volumes, quarto (approx. 295 x 230 mm). Uncut in original blue paper boards backed with buff paper, original printed spine labels. Housed in a black cloth folding case. Portrait frontispiece engraved by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 engraved facsimile plates by H. Shepherd. Text printed on pale blue paper. Two prelims (pp. ix-xii) intended for vol. I misbound in vol. II immediately after the title leaf. Significant loss of paper to spines, the labels rubbed but largely intact, some stripping of paper sides exposing boards beneath, still a most desirable copy in unrestored original condition.
Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom