Sibylline Leaves First Edition - Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Bauman Rare Books

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Sibylline Leaves

Samuel Taylor COLERIDGE

Item#: 110317 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Sibylline Leaves

Sibylline Leaves

"INSTEAD OF THE CROSS, THE ALBATROSS/ ABOUT MY NECK WAS HUNG"

COLERIDGE, Samuel Taylor. Sibylline Leaves: a Collection of Poems. London: Rest Fenner, 1817. Octavo, contemporary full brown calf rebacked, retaining red morocco spine label.

First edition of this collection of poems, including the first appearance of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" under Coleridge's name, with an additional stanza and extensive prose gloss provided by Coleridge that did not appear with the poem in its first uncredited appearance in Lyrical Ballads (1798).

This collection contains the first appearance of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to appear under Coleridge's name and with an additional stanza on page 15. One of his most famous poems, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was first published in Lyrical Ballads (1798) under the title "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere, in Seven Parts," but was not credited to Coleridge until publication in this collection. "The elaborate prose gloss accompanying the poem in most modern editions was added by Coleridge when he included it in his collection Sibylline Leaves (1817)" (Cambridge Guide to Literature in English). Among Coleridge's major works here collected, in addition to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," are "The Nightingale," "Dejection: An Ode," and "France: An Ode." Most of the poems had appeared in print previously, some "in various obscure or perishable journals, &c. some with, some without the writer's consent; many imperfect, all incorrect" (Preface). This volume was originally projected to be the second part of an intended two-volume project consisting of Biographia Literaria and Sibylline Leaves, printed by John Evans & Co. of Bristol in 1814-15 (hence the appearance of the register 'Vol. II' at intervals in the text). This project was abandoned and the sheets were acquired by Rest Fenner, who printed the preliminaries and issued the work, as here, in 1817. Wise, Coleridge, 45. Wise, Two Lake Poets, 79. Boards with gilt-tooled centerpiece arms of The Society of Writers to the Signet, Scotland's independent lawyers' association and one of the world's oldest professional organizations. Old shelf label on front pastedown.

Only occasional spotting, chiefly marginal. An extremely good copy.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
Armorial Used to describe a binding bearing the coat of arms of the original owner, or with bookplates incorporating the owner’s arms.
Association Copy copy that belonged to someone connected with the author or the contents of a book.
Boards Hard front and rear covers of a bound book which are covered in cloth, leather or paper. “Original boards” refers to cardboard-like front and back boards, from about 1700 to 1840, used as temporary protection for books before their purchasers would have them bound. Of particular value to collectors as evidence of a very early form of the book.
Book-Plate Label, generally affixed to the front pastedown, identifying a book’s owner.
Broadside Sheet printed on one side, typically for public display, usually larger than folio size (a folio being a broadside-size sheet printed on both sides and folded once, to make four pages).
Calf Binding material made from cowhide—versatile, durable, usually tan or brown in color, of smooth texture with no or little apparent grain. Readily marbled (“tree calf”), mottled, diced, colored, polished, tooled in gilt or blind, even scented (known as “russia”). Reverse calf, with a distinctive suede-like texture, is occasionally used.
Chromolithograph Lithograph printed in colors, typically three or more.
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Doublure Pastedowns made not of paper but of leather, for decorative purposes.
Duodecimo (12MO) Smaller than an octavo, typically less than six inches tall; smaller formats, such as 24mo and 32mo, are uncommon.
Edition Print-run from a single setting of type without substantial change. Depending on demand, any number of printings can be made from a setting of type For example, a first printing might consist of 1000 copies, followed by a second printing of 2500 copies; in which case the book would have a first edition, first printing of 1000 copies, and a first edition, second printing of 2500 copies.
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Errata List of mistakes and corrections noted after printing, often compiled on a separate sheet or slip and inserted into the text block.
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Half Title Leaf preceding the title page that bears the book’s title, originally used to identify the unbound text block. The book’s binder would often remove and discard the half title at the time of binding. Remaining half-titles are therefore of interest to collectors.
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Incunable From the cradle of printing, i.e., any book printed before 1501.
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Japanese Vellum Expensive handmade paper often used in deluxe editions.
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Marginalia Handwritten notes made in the margins by a previous owner.
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Modern Recently accomplished, when used to describe a book’s binding that is not the original casing. Some books bound recently are bound using techniques, tools and styles of the period of the book’s original issue; when done well this is called a period-style binding, a term that implies “modern” as well.
Morocco Binding material made from goatskin—versatile, durable, with a distinctive pebbled texture and visible grain. Readily stretched (“straight-grain”), crushed (flattened smooth), tooled in gilt or blind, inlaid with leathers of different colors. So-called because much of the raw material originally came from the tanneries of North Africa (other types of goatskin bindings denoting regions of origin include levant, turkey, niger).
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Period-Style binding executed with materials, tools and techniques to approximate the look of a contemporary binding from the period of the book’s publication. The term implies that the binding is modern, or recent, unless otherwise specified.
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Wood-Engraving Engraving made with the graver or burin on the cross-section of a piece of boxwood; the harder wood and finer tools allow for more delicate, finely detailed images, while the block can still be set in the page alongside text and printed on the same stock as the text. While much older, wood engravings enjoyed an important renaissance in the late eighteenth century through Thomas Bewick and continued in popularity thorugh the nineteenth century.
Wormhole Tiny pinhole-sized trails left by bookworms as they eat through a text block. Much more common in older books printed on handmade papers with a high rag content than in books printed on manufactured papers made from wood pulp with a higher acidic content.
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