Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Holmes, Oliver Wendell. Urania: A Rhymed Lesson. William D. Ticknor & Company, Boston, 1846.
Price: US$9.40 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: 31pp, wraps missing, text clean. This is the first state, with star noted at title page. See BAL 8745.
Seller: Legacy Books II, Louisville, KY, U.S.A.
Price: US$23.10 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: The first edition, first issue with star on title-page. Original blue sewn wrappers, the paper yellowed and the title-page darkened with slight loss at corners and a nick to one edge, marginal brown staining to lower right corner for firts few pages. Covers darkened, fragile and chipped, with loss of most of spine and pieces from all margins of upper cover and more extensively loss at margins and corners of lower cover.
Seller: Roe and Moore, London, United Kingdom
Price: US$30.00 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: 1846, 31pp. Wrps. One and a half inch triangular open tear at the top of the front cover, hinges splitting, covers badly worn and discolored, contents G. In protective report covers. BAL 8745. Apparently, in the mid nineteenth century, it was customary for a well known orator, or author of the day, to give an after-dinner speech, or recite an after-dinner poem. This poem is referred to as an after-dinner poem, one of many that Holmes delivered over the years. I knew that Urania was one of the muses in Greek mythology, associated with astronomy. But upon further research, I learned that Urania is also associated with the heavens in general, and the Holy Spirit; not the Holy Spirit of Roman Catholicism, but the Holy Spirit referring to the divine aspect of prophecy and wisdom, and the divine force, quality, and influence of the Most High God, over the universe or over his creatures. Since this poem seems to be about the accumulated wisdom of mankind, in general, perhaps that was Holmes's reason for choosing the title. But if someone had asked him about the meaning of the poem, or the title, maybe he would have given the same reply that Eliot did when asked about the meaning of one of his poems - "Whatever it means to you."
Seller: Legacy Books, Louisville, KY, U.S.A.
Price: US$35.00 + shipping
Description: Removed from bound volume, lacks wraps else good plus. ; 8vo; (1)-(32) pages. **BAL #8745. American Imprint 46-3405. The original owner wrote "Heard Mr. Holmes deliver it at the Lyceum at Cambridge," at the bottom of page 31.
Seller: Janet & Henry Hurley, Westmoreland, NH, U.S.A.
HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL. Urania: a rhymed lesson. William D. Ticknor & Co, Boston, 1846.
Price: US$43.75 + shipping
Description: First edition, 8vo, pp. 31, [1]; lacking wrappers; stitched, as issued; title-p. and verso of last leaf soiled. BAL 8745.
Seller: Rulon-Miller Books (ABAA / ILAB), St. Paul, MN, U.S.A.
Holmes, Oliver Wendell. Urania; A rhymed lessen. William D. Ticknor, Boston, 1846.
Price: US$56.52 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: 31p., Ex-library.
Seller: Yushodo Co., Ltd., Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi Pref., Japan
Price: US$82.50 + shipping
Description: Slim octavo (23cm.); publisher's blue wrappers printed within double rule; 31pp. Wrappers a bit dampstained along margins, spine ends perished, else Good or better, internally sound. "The most ambitious of Holmes' reflective poems" (William S. Knickerbocker, "His Own Boswell," "Sewanee Review," Vol. 41, no. 4, Oct.-Dec. 1933, p. 460). BAL 8745.
Seller: Lorne Bair Rare Books, ABAA, Winchester, VA, U.S.A.
Price: US$85.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: First edition. Octavo. 31, [1]pp. Printed pale green wrappers. Contemporary owner initials, later stitching, spine reinforced with later archival tissue, faint but pervasive dampstain in upper corner, a good or better copy. *BAL* 8745.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$135.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition. 32 pages. Stitched. Original blue printed wrappers. Contemporary ink signature of Lucy Chase. A few old stains, very good. BAL 8745. Printed by Freeman and Bolles, Devonshire St., Boston.
Seller: Houle Rare Books/Autographs/ABAA/PADA, Palm Springs, CA, U.S.A.
HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL.. Urania: A Rhymed Lesson. Boston: William D. Ticknor, 1846, 1846.
Price: US$300.00 + shipping
Description: First Edition; BAL 8745; publisher's blue printed wrappers; minor foxing and creasing; an excellent copy. All books described as first editions are first printings unless otherwise noted.
Seller: Peter L. Stern & Co., Inc, Newton, MA, U.S.A.
Price: US$4500.00 + shipping
Description: Original blue printed front wrapper. Inscribed by Holmes on front wrapper to J.A. Lowell Esq. Preserved in a cloth folding case. INSCRIBED BY HOLMES. First edition of this lively poem. BAL, 8745; C&T, p. 38; Ives, 125.
Seller: B & L Rootenberg Rare Books, ABAA, Sherman Oaks, CA, U.S.A.