Books

London: T.N. Longman and O. Rees. 1802. First edition, thus. 8vo. 15.5 x 9cm. In two volumes. Vol. I, [ii]contents, verso blank, [i]-lxiv preface, 200pp + [4]pp. notes. Vol. II, [ii], 250pp. First fly-title to vol. I not present, not called for by Wise but present after the preface in the Cornell copy. First leaf of notes to vol. I torn along lower corner without loss. Bound in contemporary tree calf, spines ruled in gilt, contrasting labels and small oval volume numbers. Spine of vol. I, rubbed with slight loss to labels, marbled e/ps., Pages very lightly browned o/w a clean and sound set. Cornell 12, Wise 6. Scarce, though not as historically important as the 1800 edition, (see our ref. 8142), there have been fewer copies available. The 1802 edition of 'Lyrical Ballads' differs from the 1800 edition in the following ways: Coleridge contributed four poems only, 'The Dungeon' having been withdrawn. Wordsworth's 'A Character' was also omitted. The famous 'Preface' was considerably…

Originally published in 1798 in collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 'Lyrical Ballads' is regarded as a seminal work in the English Romantic movement.