Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English LiteratureKent, Henry Watson
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Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature
Kent, Henry Watson
Best books; English literature -- First editions -- Bibliography; English literature -- History and criticism
69. Pride | And | Prejudice: | A Novel. | In Three Volumes. | By The
| Author Of "Sense And Sensibility." | Vol. I. | London: | Printed For
T. Egerton, | Military Library, Whitehall. | 1813.
Egerton published _Sense and Sensibility_ in 1811, while
_Pride and Prejudice_ (originally named _First Impressions_),
which had been finished in August, 1797, was first offered by
Miss Austen's father to Cadell, the famous publisher, in the
following letter:
"Sir,--I have in my possession a manuscript novel, comprising
3 vols., about the length of Miss Burney's 'Evelina.' As I am
well aware of what consequence it is that a work of this sort
sh^{d} make its first appearance under a respectable name, I
apply to you. I shall be much obliged, therefore, if you will
inform me whether you choose to be concerned in it, what will
be the expense of publishing it at the author's risk, and
what you will venture to advance for the property of it, if on
perusal it is approved of. Should you give any encouragement,
I will send you the work.
"Steventon, near Overton, Hants.
"1^{st}. Nov. 1797."
Cadell refused the book without reading it, and it was finally
carried to Egerton, who accepted the story and made it into an
attractive volume, although Gifford, who afterward read it for
Murray with a view to publishing _Emma_, tells us that it
was "--wretchedly printed, and so pointed as to be almost
unintelligible."
_Mansfield Park_ and _Emma_, like her two earlier novels, were
issued anonymously during Miss Austen's lifetime. Though the
author's name was an open secret, it did not appear in any of
her books until the year after her death, when her brother,
Henry Austen, announced it in a short biographical notice
prefixed to _Northanger Abbey_ and _Persuasion_.
One hundred and fifty pounds were received from the sale of
_Sense and Sensibility_, and less then seven hundred pounds
from the sale of all four books issued before the two novels
of 1818.
The work, "my own darling child," as Miss Austen called it,
appeared in January, and she says of it: "There are a few
typical errors; and a 'said he,' or a 'said she,' would
sometimes make the dialogue more immediately clear; but 'I
do not write for such dull elves' as have not a great deal
of ingenuity themselves. The second volume is shorter than I
could wish; but the difference is not so much in reality, as
in look."
Duodecimo.
COLLATION: _Three volumes._
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
(1772-1834)
70. Christabel: | Kubla Khan, | A Vision; | The Pains Of Sleep. | By
| S. T. Coleridge, Esq. | London: | Printed for John Murray,
Albemarle-Street, | By William Bulmer And Co. Cleveland-Row, | St.
James's. | 1816.
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