The Lady of the Lake: a Poem in 6 Cantos
Edinburgh/London: Printed for John Ballantyne and Co., Edinburgh, and Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, London, by James Ballantyne and Co. And Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme and William Miller, 1810. First Edition. Quarto. Item #028438
Half-title, portrait frontispiece of Scott by Heath after a painting by Saxon. 290 pages, cxxix (with errata printed on last page). The popularity of his earlier works printed in octavo led him to begin some editions in quarto (in this case with wide margins). Of this large paper edition only 2050 copies were printed, and it went through eight editions in 2010. Scott who is regarded as father of the Scottish Baronial style wrote in this majestic poem of Loch Latrine in the Southern Highlands (which also drew flocks of tourist to this beautiful area). These stories in verse of feudal times captured the emotions of Rossini while his descriptions of the Scottish Highlands caused Victoria and Albert to build one of their great houses there. James Joyce in 1924 felt his memory was in decline so he took this as one of his favorite poems and memorized 500 lines as an exercise in works he considered excellent. A lovely copy bound in full calf with triple gilt ruled borders and a floral boarder in blind., rebacked to style retaining the original morocco spine label gilt, all edges marbled, endpapers renewed. No names or bookplates. A clean, bright, wide margined copy without names or bookplates.
Price: $1,175.00