Cervantes' - Don Quixote de la Mancha
A Superb Copy of this First Edition - 1818
With Smirke's Engravings Specially Bound and Presented
Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. DON QUIXOTE DE LA MANCHA, Translated From the Spanish of Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra. Embellished with Engravings from Pictures Painted by Robert Smirke, Esq. (London: for T. Cadell and W. Davies, Strand, 1818) 4 volumes. First Printing of the Edition. A UNIQUE COPY IN A SUPERB ANTIQUE BINDING BY RIVIERE AND SON. With 48 very fine engravings, profusely illustrated throughout in all volumes. Tall 8vo, superbly and beautifully bound in antique full honey straight-grain morocco, the spines with wide raised bands gilt decorated with elaborate and complex tooling, the compartments with very handsome and elaborate gilt tooling within panel designs stippled and beautifully decorated, lettered in gilt on contrasting red and green morocco lettering labels within two compartments, covers with very finely executed colouring of the morocco in patterns of citron, red, green and honey, the edges with triple gilt fillet lines, gilt roll-tooled at the morocco edges of the covers, elaborate gilt turnovers incorporating roll tools, gilt fillet lines and dense gilt work at the borders of the turnovers, t.e.g. lxxxiv, 409; (6), 395; xiii, 432; vi, 508 pp. A very fine and beautifully preserved copy of this very handsome and unique copy. The bindings in superb condition and the text block with only some very occasional and unobtrusive evidence of age.
A RARE BOOK AND UNIQUE COPY, IN A SPLENDID AND UNIQUELY DESIGNED ANTIQUE BINDING BY RIVIERE AND SON. A beautiful set of Cervantes and a very scarce edition beautifully printed and exquisitely illustrated by Smirke with very fine engravings. The book is presented in lovely andtique bindings still preserved in exceptional condition.
There is a fine 'Life of Cervantes' preceding the text and in addition, important and very copious notes on the text are appended to the end of each volume. The content of the notes is of significant interest to the reader as they have been taken from the most important and scholarly editions prepared by Bowle, Pellicer and the Academy. In addition, significant content was gained from researching the old histories and chronicles with which the Spaniards of the 16th century were familiar. Thus, many of the period poetical nuances have here been included in English for the first time.
DON QUIXOTE ranks among the greatest literary works of Western Civilization. "What had begun as a simple satire on the tedious chivalric romances of the time broadened into a sweeping panorama of Spanish society. It was for this, the liveliness, and the gibes at the famous, which one it instant fame. Its larger claims, the subdued pathos, its universal humanity, were slower to be appreciated. But within months Don Quixote and Sancho Panza had become legendary...Don Quixote is one of those universal works which are read by all ages at all times, and there are very few who have not at one time or another felt themselves to be Don Quixote confronting the windmills..." (PMM). |
