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Austen, Jane MANSFIELD PARK London Richard Bentley 1880

Early printing of the Bentley edition. Engraved frontispiece and title page and the first illustrations for Mansfield Park. 8vo, publisher's original blindstamped forest green cloth lettered and decorated in gilt on the spine. 413. A very bright and clean copy with only minor foxing to the prelims.

SCARCE EARLY PRINTING OF MANSFIELD PARK. Bentley did much toward sustaining the popularity of Jane Austen's works with his early 8vo illustrated editions. The success of these publications encouraged the similar execution of a series of the Bronte sisters novels.
Recognition came to Miss Austen slowly. But she is now firmly established as an English classic...Miss Austen had always her panegyrists among the best intellects-such as Coleridge, Tennyson,Macaulay, Scott, Sydney Smith, Disraeli and Archbishop Whitely, the last of whom may be said to have been her discoverer. Macaulay, whose adoration of Miss Austen's genius was almost idolatrous, considered MANSFIELD PARK her greatest feat; but many critics give the palm to EMMA. Disraeli read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE seventeen times. Scott's testimony is often quoted: 'That young lady had a talent for describing the involvements, feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I have ever met with. The big bow-wow I can do myself like any one going; but the exquisite touch which renders commonplace things and characters interesting from the truth of the description and the sentiment is denied to me.' - EB

$US750

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