Poems Ascribed to Robert Burns, the Ayrshire Bard, in a fine, full green Morocco Victorian binding.
Glasgow: Printed by Chapman & Lang for Thomas Stewart, 1801. First edition. Leather. This is a first edition of this scarce, early collection Robert Burns poems, this copy in a 19th century full green Morocco fine binding. This volume is the first printed appearance of ten pieces – those at pages 46, 53, 59, 60, 62, 68, 74, 81, 82, and 91.
The binding features raised, gilt decorated spine bands separating extensively gilt-tooled compartments, the second compartment printed with the title, the publication date printed at the heel. The covers feature gilt-ruled borders with gilt corner decoration echoing the spine compartments, gilt-ruled edges, and gilt-hatched spine ends. The contents are bound with gilt top edges, green and gold head and tail bands, and deep red endpapers framed by turn-ins featuring double-gilt rules with gilt tooling at the corners echoing the spine compartments and cover corners.
The lower front pastedown turn-in is printed “BOUND BY F. BEDFORD”. Francis Bedford (1799-1883) became “the leading Victorian binder” and “was considered the foremost English bookbinder of his time… influenced by the workmanship of contemporary French binders and early French and Venetian binding styles.”
Condition of the binding approaches very good, bright, clean, and square. We note modest shelf wear confined to the corners and spine ends, with some superficial fraying of the leather at the upper spine joints and a discreet, .75 inch split starting at the upper front joint.
The book was originally issued in gray or marbled boards with a paper front cover label. This copy retains the original front cover label, now tipped onto the recto of the blank preceding the title page. Within an outer, rectangular double-ruled border and inner, wreathed oval frame is printed, in seven lines: “PRICE 2s. 6d. | Poems, Songs, & c. | ASCRIBED TO | ROBERT BURNS | THE AYRSHIRE BARD, | Not contained in any Edition of his Works | hitherto published."
The contents approach near fine condition, notably bright and clean with only a hint of barely discernible spotting confined to the preliminary blanks, discrete and professional repairs to tiny, closed tears (the largest .5 inch, the rest smaller) at the untrimmed fore edges of the publisher’s opening “ADVERTISEMENT” as well as pages 59, 65, 67, and 75.
According to Scott’s bibliographer, Egerer, “There were two issues of this edition, one advertised in The Glasgow Courier on 2 January 1801; the other, also advertised in the same newspaper, on 3 May 1801.” This copy appears to be a mixed issue. Consonant with the first state: there is a date at the foot of the title page capped by a short, scrolled rule; the page 75 footnote is in its short form: “The printer of the Aberdeen Journal.” without the appended, second state clause. However, consonant with second state, the Epigram at G3, p.53, begins “Burns, accompanied by a friend…”
Regarding "Ascribed to" in the volume's title, In the publisher's prefatory "ADVERTISEMENT" he asserts: "The following Poems, ascribed to Burns, are presented to the Public without any positive affirmation of their authenticity on the part of the Publisher. It must be confessed, that they appear under circumstances rather disadvantageous, as, whatever was omitted in the Liverpool edition, might be supposed unworthy of the public eye: - Let readers judge for themselves. - Several of these pieces were received by the Publisher in the Author's own manuscript, others were obligingly communicated by friends and admirers of the Bard, and some were collected from newspapers, but it is presumed, that on perusal, all will be found to possess indubitable marks of their imputed parent." It is a lovely convocation of caveats, intended cleverly to draw attention and interest to the unpublished material while disavowing responsibility.
References: Egerer 57; University of Leeds; University of Glasgow; ODNB. Item #008523
Price: $1,650.00