Description

“ONE OF THE FIRST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL OF ENGLISH NOVELS”: 1749 FIRST ISSUE OF FIELDING’S MASTERPIECE, FROM THE FIRST PRINTING OF ONLY 2000 COPIES, IN CONTEMPORARY CALF

FIELDING, Henry. The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling. London: Printed for A. Millar, 1749. Six volumes. 12mo, contemporary full brown polished calf gilt, raised bands, red morocco spine labels.

First edition, first issue, of this classic English novel, one of a first printing of only 2000 copies.

“The book is generally regarded as Fielding’s greatest, and as one of the first and most influential of English novels” (Drabble, 988). Prepublication demand for Tom Jones was so great that the first printing of 2000 copies was immediately snapped up by London booksellers; a second printing was completed before the official date of publication (February 28). This is a first issue set, with the errata leaf in Volume I (c8), the errata uncorrected in the text, cancels as noted in Rothschild (but with cancellans at Volume III, B1), plus additional cancels at Volume II, N12, Volume III, M3 and Q11, and Volume V, N8. The second printing was issued with the errors corrected in the text, and therefore required no errata leaf in Volume I. (A third printing was also issued in 1749, but this appeared in four volumes and was set in smaller type.) Without final blank leaves in Volumes III and V. Rothschild 850-51. Grolier English 48. Randall & Winterich, 1200. Contemporary owner signatures. Only a few small abrasions to contemporary calf. A clean, fresh, beautiful copy.