The Wandering Jew. by SUE, Eugene - 1844-46: [Including:] Illustrations to the Wandering Jew. One Hundred and Four Engravings, drawn on wood by M, Valentin and executed by the most eminent English engravers, under the superintendence of Mr. Charles Heath.

London: Chapman and Hall Limited, 1844-46. First edition in English, scarce in cloth and with the illustrations volume, of Sue's Le Juif errant (1844), an internationally popular gothic novel. Despite its title, the book makes only peripheral use of the legend. In line with Sue's socialist-inspired anticlericalism the novel is intensely anti-Catholic, with the villains the Jesuits, portrayed as having spies and henchmen all over the world.
This particular set has matching contemporary tickets of Edinburgh bookseller Robert Seton to each pastedown, contemporary ink ownership inscriptions (dated 1845 and 1846) to each volume by "Frances Lindesay", and the armorial bookplate of Herbert Lindesay Watson Wemyss to each pastedown.
Sadleir states that the first issue was in red cloth, but the advertisements in this copy make it clear that the parts and illustrations were still being issued, and that this set exhibits the state in which the book, complete with the illustrations, was available at point of issue. 4 volumes, octavo. Original green cloth, titles gilt to spines, blind-stamped decorations and panelling to spine and sides, pale yellow coated endpapers. Vol. 1 with 24 pp. publisher's advertisements to rear dated November 1844, vol. 2 with 12 pp. publisher's advertisements undated; vol. 3 with 16 pp. publisher's advertisements dated August 1845; vol. 4 with 104 engraved illustrations each dated at the foot between 1 January 1845 and 15 February 1846, and 16 pp. publisher's advertisements at the rear dated December 1845. Bookplate of Robert J, Hayhurst to first volume. An excellent set, the cloth bright and fresh, evenly sunned to the spines and some light marks, dampstain to upper inner corner of a few early plates in vol. 4. Sadleir, XIX Century Fiction, 3159.