Wordsworth, the White Doe of Rylstone, 1st Edition, Presentation Copy, 1815

Title: The White Doe of Rylstone; or The Fate of the Nortons.

Publisher: London: James Ballantyne & Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, 1815.

Description: First Edition Presentation Copy. 1 vol., 10-3/8″ x 8-5/8″, inscribed on the half-title by Wordsworth “To his friend/Francis Merewether/April 26 1821”, engraved frontispiece by J.C. Bromley after Sir George Beaumont, bound in 1/2 tan morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spine, gilt lettered red and green morocco spine labels, edges tinted red.

Condition: Inner and outer hinges fine, head and foot of spine fine, some offsetting to title-page otherwise internally clean and bright, a VERY GOOD copy.

Additional information: Francis Merewether, the rector of Cole Orton in Leicestershire, was a High Church priest and a prolific pamphleteer, and is perhaps best known as a close friend of William Wordsworth. Wordsworth provided him with presentation copies of his books, many of which are still extant.

This item comes with a “COA” – Certificate of Authenticity.