This was a piece which stirred some controversy. Originally published in the Quarterly Review – the Tory periodical on which “Southey lived from 1809 onwards. Writing for every number” and sometimes receiving as much as £100 for an article (Wallace, p. 92) – the essay was subject to “censorship” directed by none other than Wellington himself in his efforts to dictate the authorized version of his great victory. Southey had accepted the Duke’s assertion that “the battle was won before the weight of Prussian numbers became significant”, however, he did “dare to suggest that the Duke had been caught somewhat off-guard on 15 June and that the Prussians had contributed materially to the day” (Foster). Through his “agent” John Wilson Croker, Wellington brought pressure to bear on the Quarterly ’s editor William Gifford, to bring the narrative in line, and Gifford “welcomed the changes . . . and resisted Southey’s efforts to reverse Croker’s edits” (Cutmore, p. 70). This elegant production, which was never published in London, was perhaps produced as a rejoinder to Wellington’s lordly interference. It is interesting to note that the title of the map refers to the battle as La Belle Alliance, a nomenclature much resisted by Wellington for its implication of Prussian partnership in victory, with one of Croker’s interpolations to Southey’s text specifically addressing this. Quarto (232 × 181 mm). Contemporary green straight-grain morocco by George Mullen, spine with 4 sets of paired raised bands, compartments richly gilt, lettered direct in the second, sides with panel of interesting gilt frames, borders decorated with intertwining oak-and-vine-leaf blocks and foliate tools, corners with stylised shamrocks, all enclosing a blind ornamental strapwork block, edges with gilt milled decoration at corners, dark green silked endpapers with pretty blind roll tool decoration, broad gilt turn-ins, gilt edges. Hand-coloured engraved folding plan of the Battle of Waterloo by Gonne & Brocas, Dublin, text in French, based on that issued by Jouvenel in Brussels, 1815. Binding just a little rubbed at extremities, map with short closed tear at stub neatly repaired. A lovely copy. ¶ Partridge, Wellington , 440 (“A careful survey of Wellington’s life, written in a clear and straightforward style. Although in general strongly partisan to the Duke, it does try to present a balanced survey”); not in Sandler. Jonathan Cutmore, Contributors to the Quarterly Review: A History, 1809–25 , 2008; R. E. Foster, Wellington and Waterloo: The Duke, The Battle and Posterity 1815– 2015 , 2014; William Wallace, “Critical Introduction to Robert Southey”, Sir Henry Craik, English Prose , vol. V, 1896. £3,000 [153101]
182
For some time considered a straight reprint, the second edition in fact contains “a number of alterations large and small, some providing new information, some correcting matters of fact, some perfecting the idiom, and a large number now documenting references in footnotes” (Todd, p. 62). Provenance: with the bookplate of Robert Drummond (1759–1815), 6th Laird of Megginch, to front pastedowns, and the 19th-century bookplate of his Megginch Castle estate to the front free endpapers. Robert Drummond captained the British East Indiaman General Elliott from 1783 to 1795, the first copper-bottomed ship in the East India fleet to make the voyage to Bombay. His brother Admiral Adam Drummond (1770–1849) succeeded him to the Megginch estate in 1815; he had captained the Dryad in the Napoleonic wars and harried French ships fleeing Trafalgar. 2 volumes, quarto (277 × 332 mm). Contemporary tree calf, red and green morocco labels, smooth spines richly gilt in
compartments, gilt border to covers and serration to edges, marbled endpapers, yellow edges. Bound without half-title in vol. II (none issued in vol. I). Joints and extremities neatly restored and gilt retouched, scattered very light foxing, some leaves with slight toning at head or very minor nicks and chips at extremities, contents generally fresh. A handsome copy. ¶ Einaudi 5329; Goldsmiths’ 11663; Kress B.154; Tribe 15; Vanderblue, p. 3. See also Printing and the Mind of Man 221. £27,500 [151981] 182 SOUTHEY, Robert. A Summary of the Life of Arthur Duke of Wellington. Dublin: printed for George Mullens [sic], 1816 BEAUTIFUL PUBLISHER’S BINDING First and sole edition, large paper issue, presented here in a superb period binding by the publisher, George Mullen, the leading Dublin binder of his time.
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
87
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker