Camilla: or, A Picture of Youth. By the Author of Evelina and Cecilia.

WITH THE LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS, INCLUDING JANE AUSTEN

In Five Volumes. 12mo. ¾- calf and marbled boards by Zaehnsdorf, spines with gilt-tooled decorations and gilt-lettered morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers; aeg. London: Printed for T. Payne; and T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies 1796. First Edition. 5 volumes. With the list of subscribers and leaf of publisher's adverts at the end of Vol. I.

Burney's third novel and her greatest commercial success. It had been 14 years since the appearance of her last novel, Cecilia, and anticipation was keen, as evidenced by the 38-page list of subscribers, a veritable Who's Who of late-Georgian England, (truncated) containing the names of such notables as Edmund Burke, Sir Joseph Banks, the Duchess of Devonshire, Warren Hastings, Humphrey Repton, Elizabeth Montagu, Hester Thrale, Anne Radcliffe, Hannah More, Maria Edgeworth, and a young fan from Steventon, Hampshire, "Miss J. Austen." This is believed to be the first appearance of Jane Austen's name in print.


Fine in signed Zaehnsdorf bindings, with repair and restoration work done to the joints and spines; occasional light spotting and toning, o/w pages are very clean and fresh. Front paste-downs with gilt-tooled leather monogram bookplates bearing the motto, "Otium sine litteris mors est." (Leisure without learning is death). Fine. $3500.00 (Inventory #: 7247)