[Rarebooks] Offering: A few rare chapbooks

[Michael John Thompson]

A few gothic chapbooks, and one anonymous chapbook on highwaymen, although
most certainly derived from Johnson's LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN. All are
rare, some unique.


[ANONYMOUS].  THE SECRET OATH, or Blood-Stained Dagger. A Romance.  London.
Tegg and Castleman. No Date [circa 1800].  nd [1802]. Early 3/4 red
morocco, marbled boards, gilt title on spine. No frontispiece. Vignette on
title page. 72 pp., on page 69 appears "Frederic Staun, or The revenge of
Disappointment". Apparantly simultaneous with an edition printed by Plummer
for Hurst [for Marvelous Magazine and Compendium of Prodigies]. See
Worldcat, 3 copies listed. Renier bookplate, some internal browning and
slight wear to extremities, a very good copy.  $175.00   
 
 [ANONYMOUS].  THE TOWER OF THE LAKE; A Traditional Border Tale; Detailing,
The Attachment of Sir Hugh Heron and the Fair Beatrice; Whom he Rescues
from a Band of Robbers: Sir Hugh Heron is Summoned to the Wars; The Parting
of the Lovers, and Treachery of Sir Ayme  London: Published by Dean and
Munday, Threadneedle-Street. Undated, circa 1800.  Hand-coloured folding
frontispiece depicting scenes from the story. 30 pp. Bound in early 20th
century green cloth titled in gilt on front panel. Renier Bookplate. A fine
copy. Not in Wolff, Summers, National Union Catalogue, the British Library
Catalogue or anywhere else for that matter- the only known copy.  $425.00   

[HIGWAYMEN]  HISTORY OF THE LIVES AND ADVENTURES OF THE MOST NOTED
HIGHWAYMEN; Interspersed with Diverting Tales.  London: Printed and Sold by
J. Cranwell [circa 1805].  1st edition (?). 12mo, 38 pp. Engraved
frontispiece. Finely bound in marbled boars with morocco spine, gilt title
on spine. A very attractive chapbook, perhaps culled from Johnson's Lives
of the Highwaymen. Short biographies of Du Vall, Isaac Atkinson, Thomas
Waters, Thomas Dorbell, Gilder Roy, Thomas Jones, Edward Hinton, Sawney
Douglas, Frank Osborn, Captain Dudley, Thomas Wilmot, Patrick Fleming, &
Henry Simms. The frontispiece depicts Thomas Dorbell robbing a Welshman. No
copy to be found in the BLC or NUC. Fine condition. Rare.  $250.00  

LEWIS, M[atthew] G[regory].  THE HISTORY OF RAYMOND AND AGNES; Or, the
Castle of Lindenberg. A Romance.  London: Printed and Sold by S. Fisher,
No. 10, St. John's Lane, Clerkenwell, also sold by T. Hurst, No. 32,
Paternoster-Row. 1803.  94 pp. Finely bound in modern quarter leather and
marbled boards,spine decorated and titled in gilt. Frontispiece engraved by
Hartley after Tomkins, title page vignette cut by Nesbit after Vigo. Small
tear to margin of frontispiece, about fine. List ed in Summers, who states
that this is the Raymond & Agnes episodes from THE MONK with a few
connecting paragraphs. 1st published as THE CASTLE OF LINDENBERG (1799) by
Fisher & frequently reprinted. The NUC Lists a 1798 edition, 2 copies of a
di ffe rent 1803 printing (34pp!), and one copy of an 1812 printing  with
96 pp. At best, 94pp, one copy in NUC. Not in Wolff or Sadlier, later
editions listed in the BLC. A fine copy.  $350.00   
 
WATKINS, Lucy.  ROMANO CASTLE: Or, The Horrors of the Forest. A Romance.
London. Dean & Munday. No date (circa 1805].  1st edition. Original printed
blue wrappers with advertisements for many other books from the publisher.
Frontispiece. Stitched. Worldcat lists a similar copy at University of
Virginia, that edition has 32 pp., ours 35 pp. A reprint was issued by S.
Bailey in 1910. Not listed in Summers, Tracy or Wolff. Not in the BLC.
Extremely rare, especially in the original wrappers.  $450.00   
 

Terms: As usual.



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