Beschreibung:

SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe (1792-1822). Adonais. An Elegy on the Death of John Keats Author of Endymion, Hyperion Etc. Pisa: With the Types of Didot, 1821. 4 o (242 x 169 mm). Two blank presentation leaves inserted before title (leaf bearing Shelley's presentation inscription lined with thin laid paper on verso, very slightly trimmed at bottom and along fore-margin catching the "t" in "Hunt," tear repaired not affecting inscription; the leaf with Hunt's presentation with tear repaired, the same tear affecting blank fore-margins of the next six leaves, neatly mended in each case, one letter in last line of p.13 damaged by adhesion). Late 19th-century plum morocco gilt, original blue printed wrappers bound in, edges gilt, by Riviere (front wrapper slightly trimmed along fore-margin, lightly soiled, with clean tear to fore-margin neatly mended from back, rear wrapper with tiny piece torn from one corner); cloth folding case. Provenance : JAMES HENRY LEIGH HUNT (1784-1859, presentation inscription from the author on the first of two leaves inserted before title: "To my dear friend Leigh Hunt /PBS"; bracketings and neat ink underlines in some 40 places in the text possibly by Hunt, who reviewed the book -- THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK (1785-1866, presentation from Hunt on the second inserted blank leaf: "To Thomas Love Peacock, Esq. from his Ever obliged & faithful friend, J H L H") -- W.B. Tegetmeier, bookseller (reportedly purchased from Peacock's grand-daughter) -- Henry Herman, dramatist, sold Sotheby's London, 1885; Thomas Jefferson McKee (bookplate) sold Anderson Galleries, New York, 17-18 February 1902, lot ??; bought by George H. Richmond Rare Books, New York, sold to -- William A. Read (ALS from George H. Richmond, 21 May 1902 and ALS from A.J. Bowden of G.H. Richmond, 20 February 1906, detailing the copy's provenance) sold American Art Association, New York, 8-9 January 1936, lot ?? -- Fred W. Allsopp, sold Parke Bernet Galleries, New York, 4 February 1947, lot 230 -- purchased from House of El Dieff, New York, 24 August 1973. Exhibited : Grolier Club, 'This powerfull rime,' 1975, no. 59. SHELLEY ON KEATS: "HE HAS OUTSOARED THE SHADOW OF OUR NIGHT": A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PRESENTATION COPY OF SHELLEY'S VERY RARE ELEGY ON JOHN KEATS FURTHER INSCRIBED BY HUNT TO THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK FIRST EDITION, WITH ORIGINAL WRAPPERS INTACT. Shelley's moving elegy on the death of John Keats in ringing Spenserian stazas, is prefaced by a bitter attack upon the critics of the Quarterly Review , whose harsh treatment of Endymion , Shelley believed, had hastened Keats' death. In June, Shelley had reported to Claire Clairmont that he was at work on the poem, which, he thought, was "better than anything I have yet written, and worthy both of him and of me." The book was handsomely printed at the poet's request in Pisa by an unidentified printer, and issued without half-title, although the binder seems to have added flyleaves when the text block was sewn into the sky-blue wrappers. Shelley's inscription in the present copy was added on a preliminary flyleaf (backed at a later date with a thin sheet of wove paper), while Hunt added his inscription on a separate leaf to be inserted before the title. Shelley is known from the evidence of his letters to have sent this copy to Hunt just prior to August 1821, and Hunt's gift to Peacock is believed to have been made some three months later, at the time of his departure from England to join Byron and Shelley in Italy. Hunt published an important review of Adonias in the Examiner , July 1821, stating that the poem "is not a poem calculated to be popular," as it is "of too abstract a nature for that purpose," but predicting that "it will delight the few, to whom Mr. Shelley is accustomed to address himself." It is quite likely that the early bracketings and underlinings in this copy were made by Hunt at that time prior to the volume's presentation to Peacock. A very few presentation copies of the book are known.