[Rarebooks] FS: Coventry Patmore: THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE, with ALS to Mrs. Cameron [Julia Margaret?]

[Charles Agvent]

               [PATMORE,  Coventry]  Copy  of Maurice Baring  and  John
          Drinkwater.  THE  ANGEL IN THE HOUSE. THE BETROTHAL.  London:
          John W.  Parker  and Son 1854. First Edition. Original  brown
          cloth,  spine  with printed label. Published anonymously  due
          to the  author's alarm over the unfavorable reception of  his
          father's  book  published earlier the same year, this is  the
          first of  what  would become a four-book poem  and  Patmore's
          most popular  work, codifying the Victorian ideal of women as
          rulers  of the domestic sphere. This copy from the  libraries
          of Maurice  Baring and John Drinkwater with their  bookplates
          on the  front  pastedown and SIGNED by Drinkwater in 1923  on
          the verso  of  the  front free endpaper. On the  top  of  the
          title page  is written "Mr. Bates/with Mrs. L. G. Ward's kind
          regards/Oct.  10th  1856."  Neatly taped  between  the  front
          pastedown  and  endpaper  quite  some time ago  is  a  superb
          4-page  AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (11 Feb. 1858) by Patmore  to
          Mrs. Cameron,  very  likely the photographer  Julia  Margaret
          Cameron,  a  close  family  friend.  In  the  letter  Patmore
          expresses  pleasure and surprise that Cameron liked a  volume
          of his  earlier  poems (POEMS, 1844: his first  book)  saying
          that he  had destroyed the edition but now is rethinking  his
          opinion  of  those  poems based on her response of  which  he
          would like  to  hear  more  details.  He  then  discusses  an
          article  that  appeared in THE SATURDAY REVIEW before  asking
          Cameron  her  opinion of THE ANGEL IN THE HOUSE, a  book  for
          which he  is "fully responsible, and desire heartily to  hear
          the worst  that can be justly said of it--and the  objections
          of a refined  feminine instinct would necessarily be just." A
          16-page  catalogue bound at the end of this copy. About Fine,
          with a 1929 letter from bookseller Elkin Mathews.    $1500.00

-- 

All books subject to prior sale.  Cash with order; institutions may be billed. 
Postage additional:  $7.00 for the first book, $3.50 each thereafter.  Overseas 
postage billed at approximate cost. Pennsylvania residents must add 6% sales 
tax.  Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover accepted.  Books may be 
returned within 7 days of receipt for any reason provided they are in the same 
condition as sent and prior notice is given. Please insure returns for their 
full value.  We carry a diverse stock with major specialties including Modern 
and 19th Century Literary First Editions, Autographed Books, and Limited 
Editions Club books.  We are proud to be members of the Antiquarian Booksellers 
Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian 
Booksellers (ILAB) as well as the International Autograph Dealers Alliance 
(IADA), the Manuscript Society, and the Universal Autograph Collectors Club 
(UACC).  Please feel free to contact us with any wants or offerings.  Thank you.

CHARLES AGVENT
291 Linden Road
Mertztown, PA  19539-8750
Voice/Fax: 610-682-4750
agvent at erols.com
Visit our home page:  http://www.erols.com/agvent