Fielding henry

1749 · 28994 — London: for A. Millar 1749. 6 volumes. First edition the first issue with errata and uncorrected text. From the noted collection of Beverly Chew with his red morocco gilt lettered ex libris on the front endpapers. Small 8vo in very handsome polished antique mottled calf the boards framed in gilt the spines with gilt stippled raised bands between gilt framed and tooled compartments featuring large central gilt tooling two compartments with contrasting red and green morocco labels gilt tooled and lettered board edges gilt tooled page edges speckled. Now housed in a fine slipcase. lxii errata 214; 2 324; 2 370;2 312; 2 294; 2 304 pp. A very desirable and handsome set the textblocks well preserved with just a bit of expected mellowing and occasional light sings of fox clean then is usually found the bindings very handsome three volumes very expertly restored at the backs preserving the original spine panels two of the remaining three with minor rubbing at the joints and tips the third with a bit more. VERY HANDSOME FIRST EDITION AND FIRST ISSUE OF A CORNERSTONE WORK IN LITERATURE. An unusually attractive set of Fielding’s classic story.<br> ‘Tom Jones’ is not only generally regarded as Fielding’s greatest work but is one of the first and most influential English novels. Coleridge acknowledged it as having one of the three great plots of all literature. Although a great success the book drew criticism from many including Dr. Johnson for the hero’s high-spirited and varied sexual escapades.<br> This copy with the fine provenance of Beverly Chew. The death of Beverly Chew in 1924 marked the end of a group of American book-collectors who may never be replaced. The influence of such men as Robert Hoe William L. Andrews Theodore DeVinne S. P. Avery Charles B. Foote E. H. Holden and Beverly Chew on the collecting world had been great and their consistent stand for all that is best in book-building had helped to mould American standards in such matters. Chew was the last of that group to leave the world and with him was gone a wealth of literary and bibliographical knowledge an enthusiastic and never-failing interest in all that pertains to books a kindly and courteous willingness to help younger seekers after truth and to share his unequaled knowledge of both the insides and outsides of books. for A. Millar hardcover