The History of Tom Jones,A Foundling. In Four Volumes. by Henry Fielding - 1782

Philadelphia: Birch and Small, 1810. 4 volumes, 16mo, contemporary full calf, red morocco labels; upper joints on volumes I and II partially cracked, some rubbing and wear; in all, good and sound. The second complete American edition, the first having appeared in 1794-5. Early ownership signatures at the top of the title pages in Volumes II-IV, but excised in volume I. American Imprints 20113.

London : James Baillie, 1806-07. Leather. Good Only. 5.5" by 3". None. A pocket sized collection comprising Henry Fielding's comic novel Tom Jones. Forming part of Baillie's Elegant Pocket Editions of Selected Novels, with a life of the author. Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his satirical humour. He wrote numerous satirical plays and novels including a parody of Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, entitled Shamela. Tom Jones is considered Fielding's greatest work and is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel. The text is part Bildungsroman and part Picaresque as it follows the hero Tom Jones against a background of biting social commentary. It features elements that were original for the time including that of sexual promiscuity. Complete in four volumes. Uniformly bound in half calf bindings. Externally, worn. Bumped. Boards heavily rubbed with some loss. Hinges tender but still reasonably firm. Marks to pastedown of… Read More

London : W. Strahan, J. Rivington and Sons, et al, 1782. Leather. Very Good. 7" by 4.5". None. A late eighteenth century edition of Tom Jones in a full calf binding that looks smart on the shelf. With engraved frontispieces. Complete in Four Volumes. Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his satirical humour. He wrote numerous satirical plays and novels including a parody of Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, entitled Shamela. Tom Jones is considered Fielding's greatest work and is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel. The text is part Bildungsroman and part Picaresque as it follows the hero Tom Jones against a background of biting social commentary. It features elements that were original for the time including that of sexual promiscuity. In a full calf binding, recently rebacked, with the original boards. Externally, some shelfwear to the original boards. The inner hinges have been reinforced. Internally, firmly bound,… Read More

United Kingdom: James Baillie, 1806. Hardcover. Good/NO Dustwrapper. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Forming part of Baillie's Elegant Pocket Editions of Selected Novels, with a life of the author. Each volume has an illustrated pre-title engraved by R. Scott and dated 1806. Volumes 1-3 are dated 1806 & Volume 4 dated 1807. Vol I: Frontis portrait of Fielding engraved by R. Scott from an original by Hogarth. illus pre-title drawn by J. Burnett, xli + 342pp; Vol II: illus pre-title drawn by J. Thomson, viii + 328pp; Vol III: illus pre-title drawn by J. Burnett, xii + 345pp; Vol IV: illus pre-title drawn by J. Burnett, viii + 279pp. Printed by Thomas Turnbull, Printer, Edinburgh. Rough blue boards as published with linen spine & handwritten paper labels (these would have then been bound by the purchaser to match their library) spine & boards discoloured & rubbed, untrimmed pages browned with infrequent spotting, small damp stain top of pre-title in vol 3, dusty… Read More