Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

IMPORTANT!

This is the ROBERT TEMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE. It contains descriptions and notes relating to almost 18,000 titles in the fields of British and American literature, being the bulk of the stock that has passed through our hands since 1984, with the addition of a few earlier items of especial interest. Books currently in stock are not included, and it is therefore necessary to supplement your search by looking at our Current Catalogues. For the most part full bibliographical descriptions are given, though for some earlier items, catalogued when computing space was more restricted the details given are quite brief. For an account of the conventions adopted, the abbreviations used, and reference sources consulted, please see our information pages.




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The arrangement here is the same as that adopted in our current catalogues, and as there our larger files are presented in sections for ease of downloading. At the end of each section you are invited to browse the next.


ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. Rienzi, The last of the tribunes. By the author of "Eugene Aram," "Last Days of Pompeii," &c. &c. In three volumes. Saunders and Otley, 1835. Lge.12mo; bound up without half-titles or the two integral advertisement leaves at end of volume three; six line errata slip tipped on to p.[1] in volume two; five line errata slip tipped on to p.[1] in volume three; contemporary half light green calf, tooled gilt and blind on spine and with brown label, matching marbled sides and edges. Boards very slightly rubbed; otherwise a fine copy.

Sadleir, 438.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. Rienzi, The last of the tribunes. By the author of "Eugene Aram," "Last Days of Pompeii," &c. &c. In three volumes. Saunders and Otley, 1835. Lge.12mo; bound up without half-titles or the two integral advertisement leaves at end of volume three; six line errata slip laid on to p.364 in volume two, but without the five line errata slip sometimes present in volume three; contemporary half purple calf, tooled gilt on spine, matching marbled sides and edges. Covers dull and showing slight wear; otherwise in general a nice copy.

Sadleir, 438.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. The Last of the barons. By The author of "Rienzi." In three volumes. Saunders and Otley, Conduit Street, 1843. 3 Vols., lge.12mo; half-title present in volume one, lacking in volumes two and three; lacking the leaf of publisher's advertisements called for at the end of volumes one and two; Note and Errata leaves present at end of volume one, and the Note leaf at end of volume two; rebound in pinkish slate straight grain morocco cloth (c.1858) with paper spine labels. Some foxing and light dusting, and a little light pencil scoring; neat dates of reading written in pencil and ink after some chapters; an excellent reading or working copy.

Agrees in the placement of the Errata with Sadleir 415 (copy I); Wolff did not have a copy of this variant. In the present example, however, leaf B5 (marked B3) in volume one is a cancel pasted onto a stub, as are B4, B5, and B11 in volume two: all the above being helpfully marked by the printer with a volume number. Sadleir does not notice this in either of his copies, though he does note the single inset Errata leaf also present here. In volume one, and also not noted by sadleir, the closing quotation mark after "Rienzi" lacks a comma. It seems possible therefore that the present copy represents an early state of text. The end-papers and half-title in this copy bear signatures of members of the Hildyard family, and some of the pencil notes and scoring in volume one relates to the occurrence of this name in the footnotes of the novel and in the text.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. The Last of the barons. By The author of "Rienzi." In three volumes. Saunders and Otley, Conduit Street, 1843. 3 Vols., lge.12mo; half-title present in volume one, lacking in volumes two and three; lacking the leaf of publisher's advertisements called for at the end of volumes one and two; Note and Errata leaves present at the end of volume one, and the Note leaf at end of volume two; Victorian half calf, gilt extra, marbled boards. Slight wear to covers; one gathering just a little proud; two or three leaves over all a little foxed; otherwise a very nice copy.

Sadleir 415. On the title-page to volume one in this copy the word "Rienzi" is followed by a single inverted comma, a variant that Sadleir does not note.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LYTTON (Sir E. Bulwer, Bart.).]. The Caxtons: A family picture. Vol. I [II; III]. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1849. 3 Vols.; half-title present in each volume; pp.[4]+[iv]+327+[i (blank)]; [iv]+346; [iv]+308; contemporary half natural calf, spines with five raised bands, elaborately tooled gilt in compartments, red and green labels. matching oil-marbled sides, edges, and end-papers. Spines a trifle marked, and small split in calf at head of one joint; prelims., and last couple of leaves a trifle foxed in each volume; otherwise a nice copy. In effect, a handsome set.

Sadleir, 392; Wolff, 924.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. "My novel" By Pisistratus Caxton; Or Varieties in English life. In four volumes. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1853. 4 Vols.; pp.[viii]+374; [vi]+379+[i (blank)]; [iv]+369+[i (blank)]; [vi]+299+[i (blank)]; dark brown vertically fine-ribbed cloth blocked blind on sides and spine, lettered gilt on spine; pale yellow coated end-papers; top- and fore- edges uncut, lower edges rough trimmed. End-papers renewed with pale yellow paper in volume one; early ownership inscription of Henry R. Rivers on half-title in each volume; otherwise in general a nice copy.

Wolff, 946; Sadleir 422. This copy, like that Sadleir records, has the additional fly-title bearing the printer's imprint on verso correctly placed in volumes I, II, and IV (it is not called for in volume III). Lytton's name appears both on the binding and in the advert for The Caxtons on the verso of the half-title in each volume, where he is described as ‘Author of "My Novel", etc.' The second of the three ‘Caxton' novels.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. "My novel" By Pisistratus Caxton; Or Varieties in English life. In four volumes. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1853. 4 Vols.; pp.[viii]+374; [vi]+379+[i (blank)]; [iv]+369+[i (blank)]; [vi]+299+[i (blank)]; contemporary half green calf, marbled sides; spine tooled blind, ruled gilt, and with contrasting label; burnished sprinkled edges. Calf badly chipped at head and tail of one spine; that, and two others, crudely but strongly repaired; two labels lacking; internally a fine copy.

Wolff, 946; Sadleir 422. This copy, like that Sadleir records, has the additional fly-title bearing the printer's imprint on verso correctly placed in volumes I, II, and IV (it is not called for in volume III). Lytton's name appears in the advert for The Caxtons on the verso of the half-title in each volume, where he is described as ‘Author of "My Novel", etc.' The second of the three ‘Caxton' novels.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. "My novel" By Pisistratus Caxton; Or Varieties in English life. In four volumes. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1853. 4 Vols.; pp.[vi]+374; [vi]+379+[i (blank)]; [iv]+369+[i (blank)]; [vi]+299+[i (blank)]; dark brown vertically fine-ribbed cloth blocked blind on sides and spine, lettered gilt on spine; pale yellow coated end-papers; top- and fore- edges uncut, lower edges rough trimmed. Head and tail of spines fraying and holes worn in cloth of three joints, three end-papers a trifle cracked; name cut from upper margin of title and half-title in volume one; a little fingering or marking here and there, but generally a nice copy.

Wolff, 946; Sadleir 422. This copy is of the variant noted by Sadleir in which the prelims. to volume one consist of only six pages, the additional fly-title bearing the printer's imprint on verso being absent. It is not here, however, present instead in volume three. Lytton's name appears both on the binding and in the advert for The Caxtons on the verso of the half-title in each volume, where he is described as ‘Author of "My Novel", etc.' The second of the three ‘Caxton' novels.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. What Will He Do With it? By Pisistratus Caxton. In four volumes. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1859. 4 Vols.; leaf X1 in volume three a single inset; pp.[vi]+404; [iv]+360; [iv]+334; [iv]+315+[i (blank)]; purple vertical-rib-effect wavy-grain cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled blind, lettered gilt, on spine; pale yellow coated end-papers; top- and fore- edges uncut, lower edges rough trimmed. Small piece lacking from front end-paper in volume one; a little scattered foxing and marginal dusting; but a nice copy.

Sadleir, 449 and Wolff, 963 both recording copies in the primary binding of scarlet morocco cloth. Sadleir also records the occurrence of copies in deep scarlet sand-grain cloth. Carter, ‘Binding Variants', p.100, records two further binding variants: one as this, but the cloth colour dark brown; and one in a purplish-blue fine-bead-grain cloth.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[LYTTON (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord).]. Kenelm Chillingly His Adventures and opinions. By the Author of ‘The Caxtons,' &c. In three volumes. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1873. 3 Vols.; errata slip tipped in after title-page in volumes one and two; publisher's inserted 64pp. Catalogue (paged [iv]+60) at end of volume one; final blank in volume three; pp.[vi]+358; [vi]+394; [iv]+454+[ii]; deep violet patterned sand grain cloth, ruled blind on sides and spine, lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut; end-papers coated green; binder's ticket of ‘Burn & Co' on back paste-down in volume one. Some foxing, chiefly of prelims., last few leaves, and edges; a few small corners turned, to mark pages with light pencil scoring and notes (v. below); otherwise an unusually nice copy of a book that tends not to wear well.

With the contemporary pencilled signature of biographer and philosophical critic E[dwin] P[axton] Hood on the verso of the front end-paper of volume one. The scattered light pencil scoring and one or two small notes are in his hand, and it is by no means impossible that Hood may have written a review. Sadleir, 411, lists a copy in the same binding as this, also with the Burn ticket, bearing a presentation inscription from the author's son dated ‘March 27, 1873'. The book was published in March. As Sadleir notes copies are also seen with the binder's ticket of Edmonds & Remnants, these having the titling in a less condensed fount and the imprint in a slightly larger fount (the small caps. of the imprint in the present copy are 2mm high, the large caps. 2.5mm), and these, if memory serves us correctly, are also in cloth of a lighter and rather bluer shade, and the covers are a fraction smaller than those in the present copy, giving the volumes a rather dumpy look. The covers of the present copy measure 192mm x 128mm. The only copy of the second edition that we have seen is the British Library copy, accession date ‘13 JU 73'. It has the binder's ticket of ‘Burn & Co.', and is identically bound with the Burn variant of the first edition. The early date of issue of the second edition suggests that both binders may have worked simultaneously in the production of the first edition. A further, and definitely secondary binding of bright blue coarse morocco cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled blind, lettered gilt, on spine, with all edges cut, and end-papers printed with Chapman & Hall advertisements, is described by Carter in More Binding Variants. It would appear to represent a small issue of left-over sheets. Wolff, 937, describing the Catalogue in volume one as having only 60pp., not 64. He has probably failed to notice the peculiarity of its pagination.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

LYTTON (The Late Lord). Pausanias The Spartan An unfinished historical romance Edited by His Son. George Routledge & Sons, The Broadway, Ludgate, 1876. 8pp. integral advertisements at end; pp.xxvii+[i (blank)]+[29]-376+[viii]; bevelled diagonally fine ribbed dark brownish purple cloth, ruled and blocked black on sides, blocked gilt on front cover, ruled and blocked black and gilt, lettered gilt, on spine; t.e. uncut; end-papers coated pale yellow. A fine copy.

Sadleir, 430; not in Wolff. Lytton's last, posthumous, and unfinished novel, rated No.5 on Sadleir's schedule of comparative scarcities.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

M. (L.C.). Katie Lawford's Victory And other stories. Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot, 1868. F'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; pp.[iv]+188; bevelled lime green sand grain cloth, ruled blind on back cover, ruled and blocked gilt on front cover, ruled, blocked and lettered gilt on spine; end-papers coated chocolate. Very nice copy.

Not in Sadleir, Wolff, Halkett & Laing, or the British Library Catalogue. Short stories.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAARTENS (Maarten). An old maid's love. A Dutch tale told in English. In three volumes. Richard Bentley and Son, 1891. 3 Vols.; half-titles not called for; final blank in volume two, integral advertisement leaf followed by blank at end of volume three; blue buckram enamelled florally yellow on sides in imitation of printed paper covered boards, lettered and with short rule gilt on sides; end-papers coated pale yellow. A brilliantly fine copy.

Sadleir 1469. Written originally in English, although the author was Dutch.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MacALPINE (Avery). Teresa Itasca. Chatto and Windus, 1886. Half-title not called for; imprint leaf at end, followed by 32pp. publisher's catalogue dated May, 1886; natural canvas, ruled and lettered terra-cotta and black on front cover, ruled and blocked with publisher's monogram terra-cotta and black on back cover, spine washed terra-cotta, ruled and lettered black, ruled natural canvas through terra-cotta, on spine; t.e. uncut; greyish-brown end-papers. Front end-papers slightly rubbed, and free end-paper a little wrinkled; prelims. foxed; otherwise a nice copy.

An unusual binding for its date.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

McCARTHY (Justin). The riddle ring. A novel. In three volumes. Chatto & Windus, Piccadilly, 1896. Blank before half-title in volume two; pp.[viii]+223+[i (blank)]; pp.[viii]+192; [vi]+217+[i (blank)]; publisher's inserted 32pp. catalogue at end of volume two, dated Oct.1895; dark blue vertical flame grain cloth ruled and elaborately blocked blind on sides, lettered gilt on spine. Generally nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; this title not in Wolff. Essentially a love story. The collation of volume three is correct as given: the three leaves of prelims. plus the five leaves of the last gathering making up one full sheet. In the present copy p.83, l.3. in volume three has the reading ‘on' for ‘no' (issue significance, if any, unknown).

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George, LL.D.). Robert Falconer. In three volumes. Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, 13, Great Marlborough Street, 1868. Final blank in volume one; last leaf of volume three printed as fly-title ‘Hurst and Blackett's New Publications', this followed by 16pp. publisher's inserted catalogue, undated, but listing this title with reviews; maroon sand-grain cloth, ruled blind on sides and spine, lettered and with short rule gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges rough trimmed; end-papers coated reddish chocolate. Recased, with new yellow end-papers; otherwise a nice copy.

Later issue, with the second state of the advertisements. A scarce title, not in the Sadleir or the later Wolff collection, though listed in the first Wolff collection as no.33.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George, LL.D.). Sir Gibbie. In three volumes. Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, 13, Great Marlborough Street, 1879. 3 Vols.; final leaf in volume three printed on the recto ‘Messrs. Hurst and Blackett's New publications.', verso blank, this followed by 16pp. publisher's catalogue, on text paper; brown buckram, ruled blind on sides, lettered, and with short rule, gilt, on spine; top- and fore- edges uncut; end-papers coated greyish brown. Covers a little used, but a very good copy.

This title not in the Sadleir collection. A very difficult book to find in original cloth, owing to its popular nature and the fact that it was issued wire stitched, not sewn. The present copy is entirely sound.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George). The gifts Of The child Christ, And other tales. Copyright edition. Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1882. Roy 16mo in half sheets; half/series title precedes title-page; pp.304; diagonally fine-ribbed scarlet cloth over thin boards, ruled blind on sides and spine, lettered gilt on front cover and up spine, short rule gilt on front cover; end-papers coated bright yellow. Slight fading of covers and insignificant pressure dints on front cover; otherwise a fine copy.

Issued as Vol. 2091 in Tauchnitz's ‘Collection of British Authors', and bearing the same date as the English edition.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George). Home again. London, Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1, Paternoster Square, 1887. Sm.cr.8vo; blank before half-title; engraved frontispiece signed ‘H.M.P.'; integral blank, followed by publisher's inserted 48pp. catalogue (last leaf blank), dated ‘7.88', at end; diagonally fine ribbed scarlet cloth, ruled and blocked black on sides and spine, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt, on front cover and spine; t.e. uncut; end-papers coated black. Rebacked, with new end-papers; otherwise a nice copy.

Later issue, as is shown by the catalogue. The first issue had cherry-red bevelled diagonally very fine ribbed cloth, and a catalogue dated ‘3.87'. A later binding batch, otherwise similar, had a catalogue dated ‘11.87'. This title not in Sadleir; CBEL, III, p.494, giving the title, erroneously, as ‘Home Again. A Tale'; Wolff, 4292, commenting "the first copy of this book I have ever had."

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George). Home again. London, Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1, Paternoster Square, 1887. Sm.cr.8vo; blank before half-title; integral blank at end; pp.[2]+vi+313+[iii]; light caramel buckram over very thin boards ruled on sides and spine, blocked and lettered on front cover and spine, all in brown; white end-papers. A nice copy of a cheaply produced book, not calculated to survive well.

One of at least four issues, the first state of text, first issue, and first binding being probably that listed by Wolff as in bevelled cherry-red diagonal very fine ribbed cloth, [?ruled and] blocked black on sides and spine, [?ruled,] blocked, and lettered gilt on front and spine, with an inserted frontispiece, a publisher's inserted 44pp. catalogue at end, and with end-papers [coated] black. In Wolff's copy the catalogue was dated ‘11.87'; copies are also known with a catalogue dated 13.87'. The book was re-issued the next year, without the bevelled boards, and with an inserted catalogue dated ‘7.88', but still with the inserted frontispiece, in diagonally fine ribbed scarlet cloth, ruled and blocked black on sides and spine, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on front cover and spine, with the top-edges uncut and with end-papers coated black, and this constitutes the first state of text, third issue, and second binding. The present issue, which consists of the original sheets, and has certainly never had a frontispiece, is presumably that listed in the English Catalogue in January 1894 as a ‘new edition' priced at 3s. 6d. as against the original issue price of 6s., and constitutes in fact the second state of text, fourth issue, and third binding. This title is rare in any form, and may be expected to be especially so in the present one, the delicacy of the binding and the book's general appearance of cheapness militating against any probability of its being preserved. The nice condition of the present copy is remarkable. This title not in Sadleir; CBEL, III, p.494, giving the title, erroneously, as ‘Home Again. A Tale'; Wolff, 4292, commenting "the first copy of this book I have ever had."

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George). The elect lady. Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1 Paternoster Square, 1888. Pp.vi+345+[i (blank)]; deep pinkish red crushed morocco cloth, blocked black on sides and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram black on back cover, blocked gilt, lettered black on front cover, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; top- and fore- edges uncut. First and last two leaves of text a little foxed; spine very slightly dulled; a virtually fine copy, nonetheless, of a difficult title.

Sadleir, 1477; Wolff, 4285: both recording copies similarly ruled, blocked and lettered, except for the additional gilt blocking of a thistle on the spine, but in bevelled diagonally fine ribbed cloth, with black [coated] end-papers, a wood-engraved frontispiece (signed L.H.), and an inserted 44pp. [Wolff] or 48pp. [Sadleir] publisher's catalogue at end, dated 11.87 - the Wolff copy having also two further inserted leaves of advertisements, on different paper, for Kegan Paul's editions of Shakespeare. (We would guess that the Sadleir Catalogue, which bears the same date was also of 44pp. plus two additional leaves, but that he misdescribed it.) Neither mention the spine imprint, but we take it to be ‘Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co.', as in other copies we have seen. The present issue, without frontispiece, inserted advertisements, or bevelled edges, with white end-papers, and in crushed morocco cloth, though of the same sheets, is clearly secondary, and was made after the involvement of TrÜbner in the firm about 1890 - the spine imprint reading here ‘Paul, Trench, TrÜbner & Co.' - but before 1894, when a ‘New Edition' was printed (describing itself as that on the title-page), and issued at 3/6d., as against the original 6/-. The pencilled price ‘3/6' is visible on the front paste-down in the present copy, suggesting an earlier stage of price reduction. It may well date from 1892, when Kegan Paul issued a 3/6 edition of several other of Macdonald's works, though we cannot find the present title was advertised at that price at that date. In this issue, no frontispiece is called for.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAC DONALD (George). The flight Of the shadow. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner [sic] & Co. Ltd., Paternoster House, Charing Cross Road, 1891. Blank at end; pp.viii+337+[i (printer's imprint)]+[ii]; deep pinkish red crushed morocco cloth, blocked black on sides and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram black on back cover, blocked gilt, lettered black on front cover, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; top- and fore- edges uncut. Spine very slightly dulled; a virtually fine copy, nonetheless.

Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 4285: recording a copy similarly ruled, blocked and lettered, except for some additional gilt blocking on the spine, but in bevelled diagonally fine ribbed cloth, with black [coated] end-papers, a frontispiece, and an inserted 32pp. publisher's catalogue (undated) at end. Wolff records the title-page as having an umlaut over the ‘u' of ‘Trubner', which may be an error on his part, or may reflect a difference of state, our copy, which is without the umlaut, being thereby the earlier. The present issue, without frontispiece, inserted advertisements, or bevelled edges, with white end-papers, and in crushed morocco cloth, though having the same sheets as the 1891 issue, is clearly secondary. The pencilled price ‘3/6' is visible on the front paste-down, as against the original 6/-, and this suggests 1894 as the date when it was put up, a re-issue at that price being advertised in that year. In this issue, no frontispiece is called for. Includes some fantasy content.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MACDUFF (J.R.).]. The Woodcutter of Lebanon: A Story illustrative of a Jewish institution. By the author of "The Faithful Promiser," "Morning and Night Watches," &c. James Nisbet and Co., 1854. Engraved frontispiece and title-page by B. Foster, with tissue guard; letterpress title; t.e. uncut; royal blue horizontally wavy line ribbed cloth blocked blind on sides, lettered ornamentally gilt on front cover and spine. A nice copy.

Juvenile.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MACFARLANE (Charles). The Camp of refuge. In two volumes. Charles Knight & Co., Ludgate Street, 1844. 2 Vols., bound in one, sm.12mo; half-title not called for; series title in each volume; woodcut vignette on each title; pp.viii+222; 240 (including prelims.); contemporary half-calf, spine with four raised bands, black spine label, green cloth sides, sprinkled burnished edges. Some general wear to calf, but no weakness; otherwise a fine copy.

Issued upon first publication as the first two volumes in the ‘Old English Novelets' a sub-series of the ‘Knight's Weekly Volume' series, probably in wrappers. Not in Sadleir; this title not in Wolff; Baker, Guide to the Best Fiction, (1932), p.314: "An extremely vivid story of Hereward's famous stand against the Conqueror in the Fens of Ely. Aims at historical accuracy rather than romance, and achieves a most convincing picture of everyday life in town and cloister." Nield, Guide to the Best Historical Novels, 5th edition, #233: "A particularly good historical novel of the Norman Conquest period."

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MacFARLANE (Charles).]. The Camp of refuge: A Tale Of The conquest of the Isle of Ely. Edited With notes and appendix, by Samuel H. Miller, F.R.A.S., Joint Author of "The Fenland, Past and Present." Illustrated with maps. Wisbech: Leach & Son, N.D. [1880]. Lge.f'cap 8vo; map frontispiece, and one large folding map; 2pp. integral advertisements at end; dark yellow-green patterned sand grain cloth, ruled black on back cover, black and gilt, lettered and blocked gilt, on spine, ruled and blocked black on front cover; end-papers printed with flower and leaf design in yellow green. A nice copy.

Originally published by Charles Knight, in 1844, this second edition for the first time adds maps, footnotes (sometimes extensive) passim, and an Appendix on the historical source material, incorporating a bibliography of works relating to the history and geography of the Fen-district. An Editor's Preface bears the date ‘June, 1880'. Printed in Wisbech.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACHEN (Arthur). Fantastic tales or the way to attain a Book full of Pantegruelism now for The first time done into English by Arthur Machen translator of the Heptameron of Margaret of Navarre. Privately Printed, Carbonnek, 1890. Imp.8vo; half-title with limitation notice on verso; photogravure frontispiece with tissue guard, and nine engraved plates; quarter cream parchment, pale blue boards, spine with raised bands, lettered gilt; a.e. uncut. Very slight marking of covers, otherwise a fine copy. Rare.

Of an edition limited to fifty copies numbered and signed by the author, printed upon large Van Gelder hand made paper, this is one of only twelve copies with the frontispiece printed on India paper and laid on, and the Illustrations on the best Japanese paper. The scarcest of the three issues of the large paper edition, published at 45s. as against 35s. for the ordinary large paper issue. Danielson, pp.16-17; Goldstone & Sweetser p.69, recording this issue only from a prospectus.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MACKARNESS (Mrs., neé Matilda Planché).]. The dream chintz; By the author of "A trap to catch a sunbeam," "Old Joliffe," &c. With illustrations by James Godwin. Second edition. London: W.N. Wright, 60, Pall-mall, Bookseller to the Queen, 1851. F'cap 16mo in half-sheets; integral wood-engraved frontispiece and numerous illustrations in the text; pp.[xii (including the frontispiece)]+118; diagonally fine ribbed glazed orange paper covered boards printed in gilt and blue-green; a.e.g.; optical white coated end-papers printed with pattern in gilt. Gilt on covers somewhat oxydised; slight wear to paper covering of boards at edges; otherwise a very nice copy.

The first edition was published in December 1850 at 5/-, and was also probably dated 1851. The present volume is in appearance a fairly normal yellow-back, apart from the curiosity of having its edges gilt. The publisher's file copy, rubber-stamped on the half-title page ‘Property Room. Not to be taken away' and bearing in addition a rubber date-stamp ‘30 June 1937' with the hand-written instruction ‘Melt' and the initials ‘ALS' in ink, this being an instruction to destroy the stereo plates. We have not come across the publisher W.N. Wright before, but a glance through the English Catalogue of Books for 1850 suggests that he published a measurable percentage of the books printed in England in that year, if but barely so. The present copy came from the files of Frederick Warne and Co., who evidently at some point bought out Wright's publishing business. Warne's themselves seem not to have come into existence much before about 1865. The rubber stamps and annotations, however, were added by them and are typical of volumes purchased from their file.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACKERN (Thomas). Lucian Playfair. In three volumes. Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill, 1857. 3 Vols.; half-titles not present, probably not called for; pp.[viii]+[320]; [iv]+312; [iv]+[256]; contemporary half-calf, marbled boards, burnished sprinkled edges. Calf a little worn and chipped on spines, and splitting over joints; boards a trifle rubbed; a fine copy internally.

Not in Sadleir, or Summers. A picaresque novel set variously in Sydney, New South Wales, a sheep station near Bathurst, and several locations in England, containing strong ‘Gothick' elements, but with social concerns including reform of the medical and dispensing trades, private lunatic asylums, the London slums, the legal system, etc. Lengthy retrospective passages include descriptions of the experiences of a convict being transported, and of his subsequent life in a penal settlement in Australia; the London chapters involve morphia and opium addiction. Confidently and authoritatively written, richly textured prose, in places, however, a little too digressive and exhortatory for modern taste.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACKINNON (J.). Braefoot Sketches. Alexander Gardner, Publisher to Her Majesty the Queen, Paisley; and Paternoster Square, London, 1897. Final blank; pp.[iii]-201+[iii]; vertically fine ribbed scarlet cloth, lettered gilt within gilt-ruled boxes on spine; t.e.g., others uncut; text-paper end-papers. Very nice copy.

Short stories. Not in Sadleir or Wolff. The pagination is curious, but evidently correct. The Contents leaf is a single inset and the first gathering consists of three leaves: the printer had evidently allowed for four; but the book is tight and sound. A further curiosity of the volume is that the final gathering, unsigned, consists of a conjugate pair. Since the last leaf is blank, one would have expected a singleton printed as part of the same half leaf as the prelims.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACLAREN (Ian [i.e., Rev. John Watson].). Rabbi Saunderson. With Twelve Illustrations by A.S. Boyd. Hodder and Stoughton, 27, Paternoster Row 1898. Sm.f'cap 8vo; illustrations on text-paper, arranged as plates, but included in the pagination; very dark yellow-green buckram, blocked light yellow-green, and gilt, lettered gilt, on front cover and spine; a.e.g. Nice copy.

Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACLEOD (Fiona, i.e. William Sharp). The Washer of the Ford: And other Legendary Moralities. Patrick Geddes & Colleagues, The Lawnmarket, Edinburgh; Chicago: Stone & Kimball, May 1896. Post 8vo; title-page printed in red and black; 20pp. inserted publisher's advertisements at end; blue buckram, blocked with celtic motif gilt on sides and spine, lettered gilt on front cover and spine; t.e.g., others uncut; matt light blue coated end-papers printed with celtic motif in yellow green, sewn in behind first gathering and catalogue, the front free end-paper being printed in black on verso with a design of birds. Very nice copy.

Issued as a volume in The Celtic Library. A very well made book.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACLEOD (Norman, D.D., One of Her Majesty's chaplains). The starling. A Scotch Story. Alexander Strahan, publisher, 56, Ludgate Hill, 1867. 2 Vols., bound in one; half-titles apparently not called for, but probably lacking a final blank or advertisement leaf at the end of each volume; frontispiece with tissue guard in each volume; contemporary brown half roan, diagonally fine ribbed brown cloth sides; t.e.g.; blue-grey faced end-papers. Slight wear to leather at corners; lacking the tissue guard in volume one; otherwise a nice copy.

Not in Sadleir.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACMAHON (Ella). A modern man. By Ella Macmahon Author of "A new note". With illustrations By Ida Lovering. London 1895, J.M. Dent & Co. Aldine House. F'cap 8vo; wood-engraved frontispiece, conjugate decorative title-page, and five plates; pp.[vi (excluding frontispiece)]+192; pale lime-green and white flecked buckram over very thin boards, blocked and lettered gilt on front cover and spine in series style; t.e.g., others uncut; pale green silk marker; end-papers printed with vignette and iris designs in olive green, in series style. Some bubbling and light damp-marking of back cover; light damp-marking of last half-dozen leaves; otherwise a nice copy of a scarce title.

Issued as a volume in the ‘Iris Series', the series title appearing on half-title and title-pages, and spine. Not in Sadleir; this title not in Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACMAHON (Ella). A modern man. By Ella Macmahon Author of "A new note". With illustrations By Ida Lovering. London 1895, J.M. Dent & Co. Aldine House. F'cap 8vo; wood-engraved frontispiece, conjugate decorative title-page, and five plates; pp.[vi (excluding frontispiece)]+192; pale lime-green and white flecked buckram over very thin boards, blocked and lettered gilt on front cover and spine in series style; t.e.g., others uncut; end-papers printed with vignette and iris designs in olive green, in series style. Slight marking of back cover; otherwise a nice copy of a scarce title.

Issued as a volume in the ‘Iris Series', the series title appearing on half-title and title-pages, and spine. Not in Sadleir; this title not in Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MACMILLAN (Malcolm).]. Dagonet the Jester. Macmillan & Co., 1886. Pp.[iv]+179+[i (blank)]; navy blue coarse buckram lettered gilt on front cover and spine; a.e. uncut. Very nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 4354

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

McNULTY (Edward). Misther O'Ryan: An incident in the history Of a nation. London, Edward Arnold, 37 Bedford Street, Strand, Publisher to the India Office, 1894. (All rights reserved). F'cap 8vo; 8pp. text-paper advertisements at end, almost certainly printed conjugate with the prelims. (and hence recorded here as integral); pp.viii+271+[i (blank)]+[viii]; full deep crimson leatherette, blocked and lettered gilt on front cover, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on spine; fore-edges uncut; end-papers coated deep crimson. Very slight fading of spine; inscription on back of front end-paper; otherwise a near-fine copy. Scarce.

Not in Sadleir or Wolff. Well written. Land troubles in rural Ireland, with a good deal of brogue.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MACQUOID (Katharine S.). The story Of Lois. John Long, 6 Chandos Street, Strand, 1898. Title page printed in scarlet and black; integral advertisement leaf at end (the recto included in the pagination); pp.viii+311+[i (blank)]; pale brownish yellow cloth, blocked with publisher's monogram device blind on back cover, blocked gilt, brown, and primrose within brown ruled panel, lettered gilt, on front cover, lettered gilt on spine; a.e. uncut. Covers somewhat used; minor faults internally; a very good reading copy, nonetheless.

Not in either Wolff or Sadleir, who both had extensive collections of this author.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MAGINN (Daniel Wentworth, Staff Assist. Surgeon).]. Tales Of Military life. By the Author of "The Military Sketch Book." In three volumes. Vol. I [II]. Vandeleur. [III. Vandeleur (concluded). Gentleman Gray.] London: Henry Colburn, New Burlington Street, 1829. 3 Vols., lge 12mo; half-title not called for in volume one, present in other volumes; fly-title precedes start of text in each volume; 2pp. integral advertisements at end of volume two, 1p. at end of volume three; three line Errata on verso of last leaf of Preface in volume one, two line Errata at end of text in volume three; pp.[viii]+335+[i (blank)]; [iv]+322+2; [iv]+331+[i]; drab boards, paper spine label; a.e. uncut. Almost invisibly rebacked with matching paper, the original labels laid on; small scorch mark on front end-paper of volume one; a little scattered very light foxing passim; otherwise, and in effect, a fine copy. Scarce.

Not in Sadleir or in Wolff; Block, p.150. Halkett and Laing and Block identify the author as William Maginn: they are wrong. We are indebted to David Latane of Virginia Commonwealth University for the information derived from the records of the Royal Literary Fund that the author of both of these works was D.W. Maginn.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MAGINN (William).]. Tales Of Military life. By the Author of "The Military Sketch Book." In three volumes. Vol. I [II]. Vandeleur. [III. Vandeleur (concluded). Gentleman Gray.] London: Henry Colburn, New Burlington Street, 1829. 3 Vols., lge 12mo; half-title not called for in volume one, present in other volumes; fly-title precedes start of text in each volume; 2pp. integral advertisements at end of volume two, 1p. at end of volume three; three line Errata on verso of last leaf of Preface in volume one, two line Errata at end of text in volume three; pp.[viii]+335+[i (blank)]; [iv]+322+2; [iv]+331+[i]; drab boards, paper spine label; a.e. uncut. Almost invisibly rebacked with matching paper, the original labels laid on; small scorch mark on front end-paper of volume one; a little scattered very light foxing passim; otherwise, and in effect, a fine copy. Scarce.

Not in Sadleir or in Wolff; Block, p.150. Halkett and Laing and Block identify the author as William Maginn.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAGUIRE (Justin). Alastor: An Irish story of to-day. London, Simpkin, Marshall & Co.; Dublin & Belfast: Eason and Son, N.D. [1888]. F'cap 8vo; half-title not present, possibly not called for; integral leaf commercial advertisements at end; large woodcut vignette initial on first page of text; pp.[3]-157+[i (blank)]; green bubble grain binder's cloth, ruled and lettered gilt on spine. Lacking the advertisement leaf; otherwise a fine copy. Scarce.

The mumeration allows for a leaf before the title-page which is neither present here nor in the British Library copy, but in the latter the last two gatherings, ‘L' and ‘M', consist respectively of two and four leaves, and there is a stub attached to the tipped in title-leaf, which is, to say the least, mysterious. It evidently completed a full sheet. The British Library copy is wire-stabbed apart from the title-leaf and stub. It has, however, like our own, been rebound, and it is not not possible on this evidence to suggest whether an initial leaf is lacking here in both copies or not. Printed in Dublin, and issued originally in wrappers, at 1/- net. Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAILLARD (Annette Marie). The Compulsory marriage. A Novel. London: G. Routledge & Co., Farringdon Street, 1853. F'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; pp.256. BOUND WITH: GOLDSCHMIDT (M.). The Jew of Denmark. A tale. Translated from the original Danish, By Mrs. Bushby. London: George Routledge and Co., Farringdon Street, 1852. F'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; conjugate translator's Preface leaf follows title leaf; pp.[iv]+252. Half roan, ruled and lettered gilt on spine, marbled sides. Boards detached; title of first work foxed; second work with light embrowning throughout; otherwise nice.

First edition in English of the Maillard, the first of this translation - and possibly the first edition in English - of the Goldschmidt, both being issued as volumes of ‘Routledge's Railway Library'. Neither title is in either Sadleir or Wolff, though Wolff records a copy of Mary Howitt's three volume translation of the second work, which appeared more or less simultaneously with the present one - either in late December 1851 or January 1852.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAINE (E.S.). Marchmont of Redlands. In two volumes. Smith, Elder & Co., 15, Waterloo Place, 1872. 2 Vols., in one, as issued, post 8vo; imprint leaf at end of volume one; integral advertisement leaf at end of volume two; diagonally fine ribbed brown cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on spine; end-papers coated pale cream. Front free end-paper lacking; otherwise a very nice copy.

The spine bears the price ‘21/-', which was the same as for the library issue in two volumes: suggesting that this two volumes in one issue was not a remainder, but rather a simultaneous issue intended for bookshop sale. Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAITLAND (Ella Fuller) AND POLLOCK (Sir Frederick, Bart.). The Etchingham Letters. Smith, Elder & Co., 15, Waterloo Place, 1899. Leaf blank but for signature mark ‘a' precedes half-title; 4pp. integral advertisements at end, continuing the signatures; Erratum slip tipped in before first page of text; light marina green art linen, lettered gilt on spine; top- and fore- edges uncut. A very nice copy.

As implied in the title, a novel in epistolary form. Though wholly forgotten now, it had something of a contemporary success, passing through at least eleven printings in two years. Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAITLAND (Ella Fuller) AND POLLOCK (Sir Frederick, Bart.). The Etchingham Letters. Smith, Elder & Co., 15, Waterloo Place, 1899. Leaf blank but for signature mark ‘a' precedes half-title; 4pp. integral advertisements at end, continuing the signatures; Erratum slip tipped in before first page of text; light marina green art linen, lettered gilt on spine; top-edges uncut; others mainly trimmed. Spine a little dull and darkened; end-papers and blank lightly foxed; otherwise a very nice copy.

As implied in the title, a novel in epistolary form. Though wholly forgotten now, it had something of a contemporary success, passing through at least eleven printings in two years. Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAJENDIE (Lady Margaret). Past forgiveness? In two volumes. London: Richard Bentley and Son, Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen, 1889. Sm.cr.8vo; title page printed in red and black; printer's imprint leaf at end of volume two; pp.[iv]+280; [iv]+266+[ii]; blue buckram, blocked gilt on front cover, lettered and with short rule gilt on spine; end-papers coated pale yellow. Back end-papers slightly cracked in volume one; two or three leaves very slightly foxed; otherwise a nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 4400, listing only a later issue, two volumes in one bound in diagonally fine ribbed royal blue cloth, with multiple rules in black on front cover and spine, in blind on back cover, spine lettered gilt.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAKOWER (Stanley V.). The Mirror of Music. John Lane, 1895. Woodcut title-page, key design on [a]4, and cover designs by Aubrey Beardsley; 12pp. publisher's inserted advertisements for The Keynotes Series, at end, followed by 16pp. publisher's catalogue dated 1895; green buckram blocked and lettered white on sides, blocked white, blocked and lettered gilt on spine; uncut edges. A nice copy.

Sadleir 3748. Issued as Volume XV of The Keynotes Series.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MAKOWER (Stanley V.). Cecilia: The Story of a Girl and Some Circumstances. John Lane: the Bodley Head, 1897. Blank before half-title; single inset text-paper advertisement leaf, followed by publisher's inserted 12pp. Catalogue at end, dated 1897; green buckram ruled and lettered white on front cover and spine; top- and fore- edges uncut. Slight general wear to covers; small hole in front end-paper; numerals written in ink on upper margin of title-page; scattered light foxing and dusting; a near nice copy, nonetheless.

First edition, English issue. For copyright reasons, printed in America. The second novel by a ‘Keynotes' author.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MALET (Lady).]. Violet; Or, The danseuse: A portraiture Of Human passions and character. In two volumes. Henry Colburn, 13, Great Marlborough-street, 1836. 2 Vols., 12mo; bound up without the half-titles; last leaf in volume two a single inset; verso of last leaf of text in each volume bearing publisher's advertisements; contemporary rose cloth, lettered gilt on spine. Spines and edges of covers faded; a very little light foxing; otherwise a nice copy. Scarce.

Wolff, 4406; Sadleir, 1524, remarking: "It is strange how completely forgotten is this in many ways remarkable book. It moved Bulwer Lytton (who, for all his grandiloquence, did not easily praise his contemporaries' work) to three separate panegyrics over a period of twenty-five years, and is warmly praised in a sympathetic article on L.E.L. by ‘A Middle-Aged Man', printed in Bentley's Miscellany for 1845. Here are Bulwer Lytton's tributes: (a) In a letter to Lady Blessington, Oct.20, 1836: ‘I have read ‘Violet'. It has great truth of painting and knowledge of a certain kind of life.' (b) In a letter to Mrs Cunningham, April 16, 1837: ‘Have you read ‘Violet'? Is it not pretty? That and the ‘Pickwick Papers' are the best things I have seen for years.' (c) In an interview, given on June 21, 1861: ‘Lady Malet has written ‘Violet or The Danseuse', the best novel of the sort I know. . . . When I saw it, I said I must look out for a rival. The circle of interest is limited - it is descriptive of the back scenes of theatrical life - but it beats ‘Adam Bede' and everything which has since appeared." We wholeheartedly concur. After 150 years, the writing is still fresh, the observation acute and subtle, the exploration of shades of feeling minutely accurate, the presentation of character vivid and convincing. The story is, in the end, a little highly coloured, but there nonetheless is scarcely a false note. One of the few neglected nineteenth century novels we have come across which really deserves to be still available in print. In this copy the following printing errors have been observed (issue significance, if any, not known): In volume one, p.16, last line, ‘perhpas'; p.89, l.10, dropped hyphen at end of line; p.112, l.23, ‘I don't' for ‘don't'; p.155, l.5, ‘castdown' all one word; in volume two, p.171, l.11, dropped hyphen at end of line; p.194, l.1, ‘poorwoman' all one word; advertisement leaf, 13ll. from foot ‘alreay' for ‘already'.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALET (Lucas [i.e., Mary St. Ledger Kingsley].). Colonel Enderby's wife. A novel. In three volumes. Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1, Paternoster Square, 1885. 3 Vols.; advertisement leaf before half-title in each volume; integral advertisement leaf at end of volume two; publisher's 44pp. inserted catalogue at end of volume three, dated ‘2.85'; diagonally fine ribbed scarlet cloth, ruled black on sides and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram black on back cover, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut; end-papers coated black. Slight wear to cloth of spines; otherwise a nice copy.

The author's first three decker. Not in Sadleir. CBEL. III, p.553. Presentation copy, with the author's holograph inscription dated ‘May. 1885' on the half-title page of volume one.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALET (Lucas [i.e., Mary St. Leger Kingsley].). Little Peter: A Christmas Morality For Children of any Age. With numerous illustrations by Paul Hardy. Kegan Paul, Trench, & Co., 1 Paternoster Square, 1888. Double pott 8vo; blank before half-title; frontispiece with tissue guard, illustrated title-page, and eight plates, on plate paper; pp.viii (excluding title-page)+168; numerous illustrations in the text; brown buckram, blocked with publisher's monogram black on back cover, blocked pictorially black, lettered gilt, on front cover and spine, lettered black on front cover; a.e. yellow; end-papers printed with leaf and flower design in grey. Very slight general wear to covers; otherwise a nice copy.

Not in Sadleir or Wolff.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALET (Lucas [i.e., Mary St. Leger Kingsley].). A counsel of perfection. London, Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., 1, Paternoster Square, 1888. Sm.cr.8vo; blank before half-title; wood-engraved frontispiece signed ‘L H', with tissue guard; pp.[viii]+324; publisher's inserted 48pp catalogue at end, dated ‘11.87'; bevelled diagonally very fine ribbed scarlet cloth, blocked with publisher's monogram black on back cover, with gilt vignette on front cover, ruled and blocked black, lettered gilt, on front cover and spine; t.e. uncut; end-papers coated black. Frontispiece very slightly foxed on back; otherwise a fine copy.

The first issue. Wolff, 3021, describes an otherwise similar copy in smooth cloth, and without a catalogue. Not in Sadleir.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALET (Lucas [i.e., Mary St. Leger Kingsley].). The carissima: A modern grotesque. Methuen & Co., 36 Essex Street, W.C., 1896. Blank at end; pp.vi+295+[1 (printer's imprint)]+[ii]; publisher's 40pp. Catalogue at end, dated November 1896; vertically fine ribbed scarlet cloth, lettered gilt within gilt ruled boxes on front cover and spine; top- and fore- edges uncut, lower-edges rough trimmed. Very nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 3019, records the author's page proofs; otherwise only a third edition (3019a), dated 1897, of which he gives an accurate but very confusing collation. It is interesting to note that Wolff's third edition had a Catalogue dated October 1896, whereas our first edition has a Catalogue dated November 1896. this supports a long-time hypothesis of our own that publishers (or their binders) would naturally make use of the latest available catalogue whilst the stocks lasted, and then resort to any earlier ones they might happen to have. The earliest copies of this title should probably have a Catalogue dated September or October 1896, since October was the month, according to the English Catalogue of Books, in which it was published, and we know from Wolff's page proofs that the novel was still being set up in type and corrected during August. The November Catalogues must have been bound up as soon as they were ready.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALET (Lucas [i.e., Mary St. Leger Kingsley].). The Gateless barrier. Methuen & Co., 36 Essex Street W.C., 1900. Blank before half-title, blank at end; pp.[2]+vi+350+[ii]; publisher's 48pp. Catalogue at end, dated October 1900; vertically fine ribbed scarlet cloth, lettered gilt within gilt ruled boxes on front cover and spine; fore-edges rough trimmed, lower-edges uncut. Very nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 3023. In the Preface, a lenthy quotation from Lafcadio Hearn, the title is explained as follows: ‘"The Gateless Barrier" [. . .] is one of the books especially studied by the Zen sect, or the sect of the Dhyâna. A peculiarity of some of the Dhyâna texts - this (story) is a good example - is that they are not explanatory. They only suggest. Questions are put, but the student must think out the answers for himself. He must think them out but not write them. You know that Dhyâna represents human effort to reach, through meditation, zones of thought beyond the range of verbal expression; and any thought narrowed into utterance loses all Dhyâna quality . . . Well, this story is supposed to be true; but it is used only for a Dhyâna question. . . .'

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALLOCK (W.H.). The Old Order Changes. A Novel. In three volumes. Richard Bentley & Son, New Burlington Street, Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen, 1886. 3 Vols., post 8vo; title-pages printed in red and black; integral advertisement leaf at end of volume two; light greyish blue buckram, pictorially blocked dark blue on front cover and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram device dark blue on back cover, lettered gilt on spine; end-papers coated black. A nice copy.

Sadleir 1528. Presentation copy, bearing the author's holograph inscription on the upper margin of each title-page.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALLOCK (W.H.). The Old Order Changes. A Novel. In three volumes. Richard Bentley & Son, New Burlington Street, Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen, 1886. 3 Vols.; title-pages printed in red and black; half-title present in each volume, but lacking the integral advertisement leaf in volume two; contemporary half blue roan, gilt, marbled sides, sprinkled edges. A nice copy.

Sadleir 1528; Wolff, 4416.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MALLOCK (W.H.). The Individualist. Chapman and Hall, Limited, 1899. Pp.[viii]+391+[i (blank)]; dark-flecked light grey linen lettered black on front cover and spine; fore- and lower- edges uncut; poor quality laid end-papers. Covers a little dull and faded; end-papers embrowned, damp-marked, and somewhat fragile, and back end-paper lacking; otherwise a nice copy. Scarce.

This title not in Sadleir; Wolff, 4411.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

MANN (Mary E.). The Cedar Star. Hutchinson and Co., 34 Paternoster Row, E.C., 1898. Lge.post 8vo; blank before half-title; title-page printed in red and black; dark yellow-green patterned sand-grain cloth, blocked blind on front cover, lettered gilt on front cover and spine; a.e. uncut. Covers a trifle used; front pastedown slightly scuffed by removal of label; front free end-paper lacking; back end-papers foxed; otherwise a nice copy.

Not in Sadleir; this title not in Wolff. The author was born in Norwich in 1848, and lived much of her life at Sheringham, Norfolk, much of her fiction being set in that county.

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MANNING (Anne).]. The Maiden & Married Life Of Mary Powell, Afterwards Mistress Milton. London: Printed for Hall, Virtue, & Co., At 25, Paternoster Row, N.D. [1850]. Sm.post 8vo, in half-sheets; half-title not called for; frontispiece and conjugate title-page printed in scarlet and black upon thick paper; text with long esses and cee-tee ligatures printed within ruled borders after a seventeenth century style; pp.[iv (including frontispiece)]+271[i (printer's imprint)]; 4pp. inserted advertisements on text-paper, followed by publisher's inserted 16pp. catalogue at end (v. note); bevelled light claret red diagonal straight morocco cloth ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled and blocked blind, lettered gilt, on spine; a.e. burnished brick red; end-papers coated brick-red. Neat restorations to cloth at head and tail of spine and joints; a little very light foxing; nonetheless a nice copy, internally near fine.

Sadleir, 1549, erroneously dating the book as [1849]. As recorded by the English Catalogue of Books, it was first advertised in the Publisher's Circular in December 1850, and this agrees with entries in the two sets of advertisements in the present copy: the text-paper advertisements including a listing of ‘A Week at Killarney' ‘New Edition, revised by a Visit in 1850'; the catalogue a ‘New Christmas book for the young . . . The Illustrated year book, Second series. The Wonders, events, and discoveries Of 1850.' The Sadleir copy was without the catalogue. Woolf, 4457, recording a copy with the catalogue; and 4457a, a rebound presentation copy with the inscription dated ‘Decr 26/[ ] (date shaved off by the binder!). Wolff follows Sadleir in dating the book [1849]. The ‘antique' design of this volume gave rise to a vogue which continued through most of the decade, the chief exponents besides Hall, Virtue being Smith, Elder, Longmans, and in the late fifties and early sixties, the resuscitated firm of Saunders & Otley. Sadleir (I, p.225) remarks that "The design (maybe to some extent the archaism) of Thackeray's Esmond can be directly attributed to the example of Hall, Virtue's experiments with Miss Manning".

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ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.

[MANNING (Anne).]. The Colloquies Of Edward Osborne, Citizen and clothworker, Of London. As Reported by ye Authour [sic] of ‘Mary Powell.' London: Imprynted for Arthur Hall, Virtue, & Co., At 25, Paternoster Row, N.D. [1852]. Binder's blank at front and back; wood-engraved frontispiece with tissue guard, and decorative title printed in red and black precede letterpress title printed in red and black; 6pp. integral advertisements at end; pp.[iv]+294+[vi]; bevelled brown coarse straight morocco cloth ruled and blocked blind on sides and spine, lettered gilt on spine; a.e. red; end-papers coated terra-cotta; binder's ticket of ‘Remnant & Edmonds' on back paste-down. Two or three scattered fox-spots, but a fine copy of a handsome and unusual book.

Sadleir, 1536, recording an otherwise similar copy without the binder's blanks or the blind ruling and blocking on the spine, and with end-papers [coated] red. Wolff, 4436, recording a copy with the binder's blanks, but apparently otherwise as Sadleir's. A book produced in Hall, Virtue's experimental ‘antique style', using the long ‘s', and the pages with ruled frames enclosing marginal notes. The cloth is intended to resemble a period binding of leather over oak boards.

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