[Rarebooks] FS: From Herman Melville's Library

[Charles Agvent]

[MELVILLE, HERMAN] MONTEFIORE, Joshua. A COMMERCIAL DICTIONARY; 
CONTAINING THE PRESENT STATE OF MERCANTILE LAW, PRACTICE AND CUSTOM ... 
WITH VERY CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONS RELATIVE TO THE LAWS, USAGES, AND 
PRACTICE OF THE UNITED STATES. Philadelphia: James Humphreys, 1804. 
First American Edition. Three octavo volumes in contemporary tree calf 
with contrasting morocco spine labels. This scarce set was first 
published in England in 1803 and published here for the first time in 
America with much new material added relating to American banking and 
insurance, including a section on Louisiana and more. Includes a 
subscribers list of prominent American institutions and businessmen, but 
not including the American businessman who has SIGNED the top of each of 
the three front endpapers: Allan Melvill, father of the novelist Herman 
Melville. Melvill ran an import business and these volumes would have 
been essential for him. The fact that they show little use is a possible 
indicator of why he never succeeded and often borrowed money to stay 
afloat. More than one critic has found the genesis of the character of 
Ahab in MOBY DICK in Melville's father who became insane before he died. 
Each volume also bears at the top of the title page the small name label 
of Herman's brother, Allan Melville, an attorney, to whom the novelist 
dedicated MARDI. From the collection of the late Jay Fliegelman. Listed 
as 368a in "A cumulative supplement to Melville's Reading" by Steven 
Olsen-Smith and Merton M. Sealts, Jr. published in the March 2004 issue 
of LEVIATHAN, which cites that the set was sold at auction in the fall 
of 1986. Sabin 50100. Some rubbing and flaking, mostly to the spines 
which are lightly chipped. Hinges sound, contents clean. Very Good set 
with an important provenance.

Montefiore was an English Jew who emigrated to America after the War of 
1812. (#011568)

       $10,000.00

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/011568.JPG

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