TALES OF FASHIONABLE LIFE, by Miss Edgeworth, Author of Practical Education, Belinda, Castle Rackrent, Essay on Irish Bulls, &c by EDGEWORTH, Maria (1768-1849) - 1809

London: Printed for J. Johnson. 1809. First Edition. Hardcover. Three volumes, 18cm. contemporary calf, spine labels, gilt rules and ornaments. pp I: (x)-400, lacking two blanks and a contents leaf at front. No actual half-titles for the three were issued; II: (iv) + 338, with fly-title for the first story, may lack a blank or ad at rear; III: (ii) + 369 (370, ads), lacking the terminal blank. Wolff 1996; Sadleir 786 (second ed., reset). Volums IV-VI were issued in 1812. Spine worn, lacking pieces at head of vol. I and head & foot of volume II; volume II has a vertical split; inner hinges tender, with partial cracks; Vol III has a one inch split at top of front joint neatly repaired; 1 x 3 inch triangular piece torn from upper outer corner of pp 257-58 with loss of part of some words; one inch horizontal tear to pp 259-60 neatly repaired; brown soil spot to lower outer margins of pp 253-316; armorial bookplates of Charles Stirling. Only small, minor soil spots elsewhere in the volumes, text mostly quite clean. Contains Edgeworth’s long stories: Ennui, Almeria, Madame de Fleury, The Dun, and Manoeuvring. Edgeworth, Anglo- Irish, held advanced views on politics and education for one of her time. Her books were very popular and she was one of the most commercially successful of English authors. 1.5 kg parcel. .