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Reprint. Hard cover, 8vo, in a fine binding by Baynton of Bath, of three-quarter calf over red cloth-covered boards, the spine with five raised bands ruled in blind, gilt with title to second compartment and others with a decorative art nouveau-style floral stamp. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Marbled endpapers with former owner's engraved bookplate with Newburyport connection, (see provenance below.) Printed on laid paper by Gilbert and Rivington, Ltd., London. Red and black title page. Thirty tissue-guarded, unnumbered, steel engraved black and white full page illustrations by Phiz., including frontispiece and illustrated title page. vii,[viii], 390pp. CONDITION: Very Good. Front board with old scuffs along spine edge, and some sunning (or other lightening) to two edges of the cloth. Small amount of shelf wear at tail of spine. Otherwise, hinges and joints in order, sound and square, with light age toning to text, and a bit of foxing to prelims. Tissue guards browned. This was the Author's third novel, first published in 1855.**A tale of the rather machiavellian marriage trials undergone by the hail and hearty Harry Coverdale, who having returned from a trip abroad, now sets out to squire at his English country estate. His desire to wed the sister of his friend Hazelhurst is imperiled by the counter-offer of a more financially endowed suitor, and it seems a land deal is considered necessary to impress Alice Hazelhurst's father... Much hunting, riding and vigorous country pursuits in this story. ** British Author FRANK E. SMEDLEY, (1818-1864): has had his work compared to Trollope and Dickens, writing novels of the boisterous exploits of well-to-do young gentlemen. A disability of the feet left Smedley unable to attend regular school, and he was tutored at home. It has been suggested that his necessarily sedentary lifestyle was the spur to his "boisterous tales of adventure." ***PHIZ. (aka HABLOT KNIGHT BROWN) was most famous for his steel plate engravings of ten works of Charles Dickens, although he also illustrated the work of Charles Lever, Harrison Ainsworth and Smedley.***PROVENANCE: EDWARD STRONG MOSELEY (1813-1900) was from a prominent Newburyport, Massachusetts family in the nineteenth century, and known for his notable personal library. Moseley was one of the largest ship owners in The Clipper City, as well as having a financial share in ninety-nine wooden sailing vessels built at John Currier's shipyard on The Merrimack River. President of one bank and Director of another, Moseley also held a variety of other civic posts. He trained in finance in the counting house of Boston's East India merchant, Benjamin A. Gould, after education at Yale. He shipped out as at least sixteen times as a young man, including several voyages to India and China as super-cargo. From descendants of Mr. Moseley. (A good biographical sketch on Moseley is found in Samuel Atkins Eliot, (edit.) "The Biographical History of Massachusetts," (Boston: Massachusetts Biographical Society, 1913.)(Please see another Smedley title in a matching fine binding, our no. 9808.) Sutherland (1990) p. 585. Watson 966. (AMJ)
Ref: FICT19 9807
$85.00