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10 [AUSTEN, Jane.] AUSTEN, James. The Loiterer. Oxford: printed for the author and sold by C. S. Rann [others in later parts], 1789–90 Octavo (208 × 125 mm) in 60 parts, with printed part-titles for each. Con- temporary pale tan polished calf, spine divided in 6 compartments by raised bands, red morocco label, other compartments gilt with central flower tools. Contemporary ownership inscription of R. Ekins at head of front free endpaper. Joints starting, some light chipping and wear, part-title for No. 2 mounted on a stub, Q1 with small marginal tear in corner with loss, margin- al worming to a few leaves, a very good copy. first edition, possibly jane austen’s first appearance in print. This scarce periodical was written by James and Henry Aus- ten while they were at Oxford, and some scholars have suggested that in issue number 9, the letter signed “Sophia Sentiment” was the work of their sister Jane when she was 14. Although Gilson does not include this work in his bibliography, there is a strong case that the work was written by Jane Austen. According to the British Li- brary, “critics such as Paula Byrne have noted that there are various correspondences between the letter and Jane Austen’s juvenilia. Her early, epistolary novel Love and Freindship [ sic ], for example, has two heroines quite as shallow as Sophia. But other critics, such as Kathryn Sutherland and Claire Tomalin, find it unlikely that Austen would have written a letter so critical of women’s reading choices. They suggest that Sophia Sentiment’s letter was probably written by one of Austen’s brothers”. Even if “Sophia Sentiment” cannot be definitively linked with Jane Austen, the experience her brothers had in printing this work no doubt had some influence on her. Gilson suggests that it was through the publication of The Loiterer that she became acquainted with Eger- ton of Whitehall (who were the London distributors of this work from the fifth number on) who later published Sense and Sensibility . See Cope, Sir Zachary, “Who was Sophia Sentiment? Was she Jane Austen?”, Book Collector 15, 1996, pp. 143–151; Litz, A. W., “ The Loiterer : a reflection of Jane Austen’s early environment”, Review of English Studies 12, 1961, pp. 251–261. £5,000 [102817]
11 [AUSTEN, Jane.] Northanger Abbey: and Persuasion. London: John Murray, 1818 4 volumes, duodecimo (169 × 107 mm). Contemporary continental half sheep, red lettering pieces and white numbering pieces lettered in black, marbled sides, pale blue-green endpapers. Housed in a burgundy quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. With half-title in vol. I only, the others discarded by the contemporary binder, as often. Spines worn at ends with neat repair at foot of vol. I, tips worn, contents lightly browned throughout, early reinforcement with blue paper in gutter at two places (vols. I and IV, between quires B and C), marginal waterstaining at head of prelims in vol. I and at upper outer corner of first few leaves of vols. II and IV, a few stains, strongest at vol. IV, D 2 v –D 3 r , and fainter to the leaves either side. Overall, a good copy in a contemporary binding, no doubt continental, the labels somewhat eccentrically lettered. first edition of Austen’s final published work, pairing her last completed novel with the light-spirited satire that was probably the first full-length novel she wrote. It contains the first acknowledge- ment in print of Jane Austen as the author of her six novels. This copy has an appealing provenance, with the early ownership inscriptions of the Polish countess Calista Rzewuski (1810–1842) on
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the title pages: her daughter Ersilia was the first woman admitted to the oldest scientific academy, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.
Gilson A9. £12,500
[126016]
12 AUSTIN, Sarah (tr.) Characteristics of Goethe. London: Effingham Wilson, 1833 3 volumes, large duodecimo (186 × 118 mm). Contemporary half calf by Webb & Hunt, Liverpool, marbled paper-covered boards, spine lettered in gilt, brown endpapers. Engraved frontispieces to each volume. Without the
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