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AUSTEN, Jane.
Emma: A Novel. In Three Volumes.
First edition of perhaps the most perfectly constructed of Jane Austen's novels. She had fallen out with Egerton over publication of Mansfield Park and transferred to Murray, who published the second edition of that book and the first edition of Emma on the same terms: each was published at the author's expense, with profits to the author after payment of a 10 per cent commission to the publisher. In keeping with Murray's stated views on edition sizes, 2000 copies were printed. Emma is the only one of Jane Austen's novels to bear a dedication, to the Prince Regent, the arrangement of which generated a richly comic correspondence between the author and the Prince Regent's librarian.
3 volumes, octavo (170 × 100 mm). Bound without half titles in contemporary black half calf, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides. Housed in a dark blue cloth slipcase. Contemporary bookseller's ticket to each front pastedown. Bindings lightly rubbed, spine to volume I skilfully repaired, spotting and a little marking to contents. A very good set.
