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PAMELA: OR, VIRTUE REWARDED. IN A SERIES OF FAMILIAR LETTERS FROM A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG DAMSEL TO HER PARENTS.
(London: Printed for C. Rivington and J. Osborn [vols. III-IV printed for S. Richardson and sold by C. Rivington and J. Osborn], 1741-42 [i.e., 1740-41]). 169 x 102 mm. (6 5/8 x 4"). Four volumes. FIRST EDITIONS, FIRST STATES (vol. I with Letter XXVII [p. 81] misnumbered "XXVI"; p. 16 mis-paged "61"; p. 295 with the "5" left off).
Elegantly simple dark blue morocco by Zaehnsdorf (stamp-signed and dated 1912 on front turn-in, with oval exhibition stamp on rear pastedown), covers with French fillet border, raised bands, spine compartments with double gilt fillet, gilt lettering, densely gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Front pastedowns with ex-libris featuring two interlocking "A"s forming an X. Sale 5, 15; Rothschild 1745; Day, "History of English Literature 1660-1837," pp. 225-26. Spines just slightly and uniformly darkened, text lightly washed and pressed (no doubt at the time of binding), half a dozen expert marginal paper repairs, leaves a shade less than bright, isolated light foxing or trivial stain, but still quite a fine set--clean and pleasing internally, in lustrous, virtually unworn bindings.
This is an attractively bound copy of a work widely considered the first English novel, with all four volumes in their first state. The story of a virtuous servant girl who resists the unwanted attention of her employer's son until marriage is offered, "Pamela" was first issued in November 1740 as a complete novel in two volumes. The tale was a runaway success, going to five editions in 1741 and spawning so many imitations, parodies, and unauthorized continuations that Richardson was compelled to wrest the narrative back under his own control by writing two additional volumes. The second part of the work features "Pamela" as the exemplary wife of a country gentleman, winning over snobs and winning back her straying spouse. Day describes the plucky maid-turned-lady as "the first great character creation of English prose fiction," wryly observing, "as much as we may dislike her prudential morality, we must recognize here a complete human being." And even the book's moralizing is far more than just palatable: as Day notes, Alexander Pope, after staying up all night to read the novel, declared, "it will do more good than a great many of the new sermons." Sets with all four volumes in the first state are rarely seen in the marketplace, and are frequently in unpleasant condition when they are found. A well-preserved set of firsts in uniform bindings by a premier workshop is especially agreeable. (ST19567-114)
Price: $12,500.00