Under the Greenwood Tree.: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School.

London: Chatto and Windus,, 1883. The first Wessex novel First illustrated edition of Hardy's second novel, later issue with the imprint of Chatto and Windus and rear ads dated March 1883. It is the first one-volume edition, being first published anonymously in an unillustrated two-volume edition in 1872. The present edition was first issued by Tinsley in 1875 (dated 1876); Chatto and Windus later acquired the copyright and began issuing the remaining stock in 1878. Under the Greenwood Tree was Hardy's first Wessex novel; contemporary reviews were good, but the novel did not immediately sell through and there were remainder bindings. However, it impressed Leslie Stephen sufficiently for him to ask Hardy for a similar story for the Cornhill Magazine, which turned out to be Far From the Madding Crowd, Hardy's first major literary success. This copy was previously in the esteemed Thomas Hardy collection of Frederick Baldwin Adams Jr (1910-2001), director of the Pierpont Morgan Library, with his Rockwell Kent-designed bookplate. His books were dispersed in Sotheby's landmark sale of November 2001. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt and front cover in black, decorative black frames on spine and front cover, blind rules to rear cover, dark blue endpapers, edges untrimmed. Engraved frontispiece and 14 further engravings by R. Knight. Bookseller's ticket (W. Heffer & Sons, Cambridge) and armorial bookplate of one C. R. Esler on front pastedown. Bright cloth slightly rubbed and restored, inner hinges strengthened with linen, book block firm, sporadic foxing to contents. A well-presenting copy. Purdy, p. 8; Sadleir 1117.