Beschreibung:

Fielding (Henry). Amelia, 4 volumes, 1st edition, London: printed for A, Millar, 1752, advertisement leaf at end of volume II, some spotting and light toning, small oval bookplates of Beverly Chew (offset to front endpaper), contemporary calf gilt, joints slightly rubbed, contained in two modern morocco-backed solander boxes, 8vo (Quantity: 4) Rothschild 853: "There were two impressions of the first edition, one in December 1751, the second in January 1752, no distinguishing characteristics have been recorded." Millar ordered William Strahan to print the work on two of his printing presses in order to produce a total of 5000 copies for the first run of the work. Rothschild claims that there were two impressions, one in December 1751, the second in January 1752, but this seems to be confused with the second edition of 3000 copies which Millar ordered to follow the first but subsequently cancelled. "Fielding's Amelia was the most pleasing heroine of all the romances... but that vile broken nose never cured, ruined the sale of perhaps the only book, which being printed off betimes one morning, a new edition was called for before night", Samuel Johnson pp. 221-222 in Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson, 1786. Johnson's concern seems to have been noted for Fielding's second edition of Amelia did see the addition of a scene in which the heroine's nose is reset. Provenance: Beverly Chew (1850-1924), American collector of English Literature before 1800. His library was sold in New York in 1924.