Smith, Sydney; Holland, Lady A Memoir of the Reverend Sydney Smith. By his daughter, Lady Holland. With A Selection from his Letters, Edited by Mrs Austin. [Finely bound in 2 volumes by R.W. Smith] Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1856. First Edition
378pp; 511pp. In 2 volumes, finely bound in three-quarters blue morocco with five raised bands and gilt decoration, by British bookbinder R.W.Smith with his stamp to the endpapers. *** Sydney Smith (1771-1845) was a cleric, orator and writer, and a co-founder of the influential magazine of the Scottish Enlightenment, the "Edinburgh Review" (1755-1756). This publication included a review by Adam Smith on Rousseau's "Discourse on Inequality", in which private property is shown to be the original source and basis of all inequality. Sydney Smith was a regular visitor at the famous salons held at Holland House in London, where Lord & Lady Holland hosted political and literary gatherings, whose attendees included the Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott, and the Irish playwright, Richard Sheridan. Some quotations from Smith: "All lives lived out of London are mistakes", "No furniture is so charming as books.", and "Poverty is no disgrace to a man, but it is confoundedly inconvenient." *** The memoir was written by Smith's eldest daughter, Lady Saba Holland (1802-1866). *** R.W.Smith was one of the first employees of the Club Bindery (1898-1909), which had been established by members of New York's Grolier Club to bring the art of European fine bookbinding to America. Condition: About Near Fine, with very light shelfwear. (2.3 lbs.)

Ref: FINE 8154

$325.00