Books

All Pottle's Points in a Fine, Early Issue Copy of the First Ed Boswell, James. THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. London, 1791. 1st Edition. 2 volumes, quarto, early gilt 1/2 calf over old marbled boards. Wear to the board edges, the marbled papers of the boards quite rubbed, the front hinge of Vol 1 weakened, a bit of wear to the spine ends, the internals Fine. Vol 1 with engraved frontispiece portrait by Heath after Reynolds, Title page, blank on reverse (i-ii), Dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds (iii-vii, with blank reverse), Advertisement (ix-xii), Alphabetical Table of Contents to Both Volumes (unnumbered, which would be xiii-xxvii), Corrections and Additions on reverse of last leaf (would be xxviii), text, pp 1-516. With the "give" reading on page 135, line 10, and the cancels at pp 271-2 and 273-4 (Mm and Nn), with stubs. The misprints noted by Pottle at page 152 of "The Literary Career of James Boswell" are all present in this copy. Vol 2 with title page (blank on reverse) and 586pp. (wrongly numbered 588), plus the facsimiles facing pp 92 and 588 (i.e. the last page). All of the pagination misnumberings noted by Pottle on his p. 153 are present. Cancels are present with stubs at pages 29-30 [E], 287-8 [O o], 301-2 [Q q], 353-4 [Zz1], and 395-6 [E ee2]. All of the misprints noted by Pottle on his page 155 are present. As Pottle believed some of these misprints may have been corrected, making two states for the leaf, these are all first state. Both volumes with the bookplate of Westport House (Mayo County, Ireland; seat of the Marquesses of Sligo), noting case and shelf number. Bound in at the end of Volume 2 are "The Principal Corrections and Additions to the First Edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson," issued in 1793, with Title (blank reverse and pp. 1-42). The leaves of this copy measure 10 13/16" x 8 1/4" as against Pottle's measurements for an "entirely uncut copy" of 11 13/16" x 9".

James Boswell's 'The Life of Samuel Johnson' is regarded as one of the greatest biographies written in the English language. It provides an in-depth and vivid recounting of the life of Samuel Johnson, a writer and critic who was a towering figure in 18th-century British literature.