true first edition of the unofficial second series

several on plays and actors

The first series made its first appearance in book form in London, 1823. The authorized second series was not published until 1833, under the title The Last Essays of Elia; the pieces selected for the unauthorized American second series offered here are different from those contained in that volume, and mistakenly include three essays written by other hands.

•  Shoemaker 33813 & 33814; NCBEL, III, 1225; NSTC 2L2346.   Vol. I: Uncut copy. Publisher's quarter once-red cloth and paper sides, covers printed with “Elia” within a simple frame, spine with printed paper label; binding rubbed and lightly soiled, spine sunned to yellow. Repaired tear to one leaf, touching text without loss; remarkably clean and sound. Vol. II: Contemporary speckled sheep, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label; rubbed, and head of spine chipped with old refurbishing. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplate and call number ticket on front pastedown, front free endpaper with inked numerals, title-page pressure-stamped. Author's name inked on title-page; front free endpaper and title-page reinforced at fore-edge (the latter from the back). Both volumes age-toned, with intermittent spots of staining; advertisements absent. The set now housed in a quarter blue morocco and blue cloth–covered clamshell case with marbled paper–covered sides and gilt-stamped spine.  (26434)

•  Publisher's quarter cream textured cloth with light blue fleur-de-lis printed paper sides, spine with printed paper label; lacking the blue dust-wrapper, small spot of staining at head of spine, otherwise a very nice example.  (28209)

Binding:  Publisher's brown cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and lobster vignette in orange and black, spine with gilt-stamped title.

•  BAL 741; Wright, III, 269.   Binding as above, with minimal wear to extremities. Front free endpaper with early inked ownership inscription. A clean, attractive copy.  (29002)

Click the interior image for an enlargement.

•  NSTC B758. Contemporary half calf with marbled paper–covered sides, spines with later gilt-stamped leather labels; spines slightly darkened, corners and spine extremities rubbed. Pencilled bracketing and marks of emphasis; some light to moderate foxing.

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Click the images for enlargements.

•  ESTC N2497. Recent marbled-paper wrappers, front wrapper with paper title label. Lacking half-title. Title-page with lower corner neatly off, otherwise in excellent, clean condition. (3247)

a popularizing work which brought the writings of Burney and Hawkins in simplified form within the reach of many without access to the originals

•  NSTC 2B62088. On Busby, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Contemporary speckled sheep, spines with gilt-stamped leather title-label; moderately rubbed overall and moreso at spines; one leaf, pp. 69/70 (in section on music in war) missing in vol I. Ex–social club library: each volume with paper shelving label on spine, 19th-century bookplate, pressure-stamp on title-page, no other markings. Pages creased with occasional light spots. Scattered early pencilled annotations and corrections, including (in a few cases) to music.  (28341)

Some titles include information about when and where plays were originally performed.

Provenance & Evidence of Readership: In each volume, the ink presentation inscription “W.A. Sanford to E.C.A. Sanford” on the front fly-leaf is followed by an index in the same 19th-century hand. Vol. II also has a typed index.

A full list of the plays is available upon request.

•  See Bergman & Szmuk, Comedias Sueltas; McKnight & Jones, Catalogue of Comedias Sueltas; and Sullivan & Bershas, Comedias Sueltas; Don W. Cruickshank, Don Pedro Calderón.   Early 19th-century vellum over boards with binder's sticker on front pastedown and ink title to spines; spine vellum of vol. I significantly torn. Nearly all of the comedias are trimmed close at the margins, many with loss to signature marks and occasionally a bottom line of text; some age-toning, stains, occasional water damage, and foxing. Where colophons are affected, dates have been supplied using the aforementioned references.  (29317)

In addition to the first title, this sammelband contains seven other comedias sueltas by Calderón de la Barca, in order as follows:  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El pintor de su deshonra. [colophon: Barcelona: En la Imprenta de Carlos Sapera, 1766]. [18] ff. “Num. 82” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. La exaltacion de la cruz. [colophon: Barcelona: En la Imprenta de Francisco Suriá, 1771]. [18] ff. “Num.76” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Fuego de Dios en el querer bien. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [18] ff. “Num. 74” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Auristela y Lisidante. Fiesta que se representó á SS. MM. en el Coliseo del Buen Retiro. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suriá y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [22] ff. “Num. 73.” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. El segundo Scipion. Fiesta que se representó á los años del Rey nuestro Señor Don Carlos Segundo. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [20] ff. “Num. 75.” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. La desdicha de la voz. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1770]. [22] ff. “Num. 81” in upper right corner of the first page.  [drop-title] Comedia famosa. Darlo todo, y no dar nada. Fiesta, que se representó à SS. MM. en el Salon de su Palacio. [colophon: Barcelona: Por Francisco Suria y Burgada], no date [ca. 1780]. [20] ff. “Num. 80=” in upper right corner of the first page.

Provenance:  Francis H. Bacon (modern bookplate, front pastedown).

•  On the comedias sueltas, see: Bergman & Szmuk, Comedias Sueltas; McKnight & Jones, Catalogue of Comedias Sueltas; Sullivan & Bershas, Comedias Sueltas. On Calderon, see: Don W. Cruickshank, Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1973).   Brown calf triple-ruled in gilt and stamped in a blind fern pattern along the border (joints splitting); spine gilt with “Comedias de Calderon,” “Tom. IX.,” and “Madrid 1726" in three of seven compartments otherwise containing gilt fleurons within a blind-stamped flower pattern; gilt turn-ins and marbled endpapers in a stone pattern and matching marbled edges. Front flyleaf detached. Occasional spots and dampstaining, a few natural paper flaws and a few negligible wormholes; age-toning, heavier in some comedias than others. Trimmed close shaving some headlines and catchwords, butoverall nice.  (29852)

The entremeses in vol. I (which volume is not present) were previously published in Castro's 1702 Primera parte de Alegria comica, but those in this volume are by other (unidentified) comics and ardhere for the first time. The entremeses in this volume are: “El Gallego silletero,” “La Rueda y los Cobielos, 2a parte,” “Los locos,” “El Enmendador,” “Pedro Grullo y Anton Pintado,” “La Lámina,” “Las Brujas, 2a parte,” “El duelo del vejete,” “La casa de los linajes,” “La Burla del Herrero,” “El Sacristan niño,” and “El Hombre muger.”

Searches of WorldCat and NUC Pre-1956 locate only one U.S. library reporting ownership of this work and it has both volumes. Searches of the Catálogo Colectivo del Patrimonio Bibliográfico and the OPAC of the BNE find only three libraries in Spain owning both volumes and only three other libraries owning either volume alone. Palau says “Los dos tomos completos y en buen estado son raros.”

An important and clearly rare compilation of post–Golden Age theater.

•  Palau 48691; Aguilar 2362. On Castro, see: Archivo biográfico de España, Portugal, e Iberoamérica, fiche 198, frames 417–24.   Modern medium brown morocco, gilt double-rule border on both covers, gilt spine extra, single gilt rule on board edges. Gilt inner dentelles, gilt pattern endpapers, top edge gilt, blue silk place marker. Light age-toning in some sections, by nature of paper; a few pages with small natural paper flaws; some leaves lightened across their lower outer corners; and otherwise the stray stain only. This is a very nice copy.  (29144)

Single-click the image where the hand appears on
mouse-over, for an enlargement.

•  ESTC T138271; Lowndes, II, 404; Allibone, 2036. Recent quarter morocco over marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title and gilt-stamped decorations in compartments. Title-page and a few others stamped by a now-defunct institution; pages slightly age-toned, one with pencilled underlining/emphasis.

Single-click the image where the hand appears on
mouse-over, for an enlargement.

•  ESTCT61515; Allibone, 2036; Lowndes, II, 404. Recent quarter morocco over marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title and gilt-stamped decorations in compartments. Title-page and a few others stamped by a now-defunct institution; pages age-toned.

•  Disbound and now in a Mylar folder. Lacking title-page, opening with dedication. Repairs to inner margins of several pages occasionally touching text, with small tears remaining on first and last leaves.

Christmas

•  Good; disbound from a nonce volume, with sewing holes, final signature separated. One leaf with small hole touching letters but not affecting sense; one leaf with portion of lower margin lost during printing; one page stamped by a now-defunct institution. Very light waterstaining to upper margins, and minor spotting. (1937)

T.M. Cleland illustrated the book with 16 hand-colored drawings of actors in period costume performing scenes from the play; he also designed it, choosing a monotype Janson font and a full maroon linen binding elaborately and charmingly blind-embossed on both covers. A contrastingly simple black leather spine label is stamped in gold with author and title.

This offering includes the monthly newsletter and mailing notice. T.M. Cleland signs the colophon.

•  Limited Editions Club, Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by The Limited Editions Club, 1929–1985, 301. A fine copy with the slipcase.

•  Contemporary calf. Gilt spines, rebacked and original spines reapplied. Spines very dry, chipped with some loss and lacking title labels, but with new volume labels.

Signed Binding: Publisher's teal pebbled cloth, front covers with striking chariot and armorial scene in light blue, tan, and gilt. The “Cibeles” statue found in Madrid's Cibeles Plaza and the coat of arms (and gilt monogram) of the city of Madrid appear with de la Cruz's name stamped in gilt below; spines offer gilt-stamped title and black-stamped griffin decoration. Cover of vol. II is signed “J. Orba.” All page edges are stamped in a Greek key pattern in blue and gilt.

Provenance:  Half-titles each with old-fashioned rubber-stamp of José Carmona y Ramos.

•  Palau 65340.   Bindings as above, edges and extremities showing minor shelfwear, back cover of vol. I with small spots of faint discoloration, front joint of vol. II rubbed. Collector's stamp as above, each front pastedown with small paper label bearing hand-inked numeral. Pages age-toned; edges slightly embrittled, occasionally with small chips or short tears. Scattered light smudges in vol. I; vol. II with mild to moderate foxing. A peacocky set.  (29262)

surely-emblematic title vignette

•  Very good; disbound from a nonce volume with signatures starting to separate. One page faintly stamped by a now-defunct library.  (1478)