Christowell. by BLACKMORE (R.D.)

A Dartmoor Tale. By R.D. Blackmore, Author of “Mary Anerley,” etc. In three volumes. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, Crown Buildings, 188, Fleet Street, 1882 [?December, 1881]. (All rights reserved.) 3 Vols.; half-titles not called for; final blank in volumes one and three; pp.[iv]+302+[ii]; [iv]+300; [iv]+317+[iii]; diagonal fine ribbed maroon cloth, ruled blind, blocked with publisher’s monogram within ruled circle, blind, on sides, ruled blind, lettered and with short rule gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges rough trimmed; end-papers coated cream. Barely perceptible fading to cloth of spines; occasional light foxing; otherwise a fine copy. Tipped onto the front end-papers of volumes one and two are signed holograph letters from the author to a Dr. Wood dated, from Paddington, May 22nd 1878 (approximately 200 words), and Dec 8th 1881 (approximately 70 words), the first thanking Dr. Wood (who is apparently in Devon) for the copies of “his elegant books”, saying of himself that he has “given up the fiction” and is absorbed in gardening, and mentioning some friends, etc.; the second speaking of “the loss of a relation” and giving his reasons for never furnishing biographical particulars about himself. The front pastedown in each volume bears the armorial bookplate of Laurence Bernard Gomme. The production of this copy is a little curious, the prelims. of each volume, and the final leaf, U6 in volume two and X8 in volume three, being on a different paper stock of a pleasantly creamier colour than the rest of the book. U6, the final leaf of text in volume two, and the blank X8 in volume three, are therefore single insets, as are what should have been their conjugates, U1 and X1, those leaves being of the regular paper stock. U6 and X8 at least, and possibly the prelims. to all the volumes, are therefore cancels. This is not mentioned either by Sadleir or Wolff, and was not so in another copy that passed through our hands some time ago. Since the present copy may well have been given to Dr. Wood by the author, as is suggested by the date on the second letter, it is possible that it was a final book proof sent to Blackmore to check some corrected text. Sadleir, 220; Wolff, 527. Number nine on Sadleir’s schedule of comparative scarcities. All books listed by Robert Temple are first editions unless otherwise stated.