The Prince of Abissinia. A Tale. In Two Volumes.
first edition Hardcover
1759 · London
by Johnson, Samuel
London: William Strahan, 1759. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. One of 1,500 copies printed. viii, 159; viii, 165 pp. Small 8vos. Full mottled calf, gilt edges, by Morrell. Spines gently rubbed, small chip to head to spine leather on volume two. Overall, a nice set. Volume 2 in the first state, headed 'CONTENTS / VOL. II'; this volume bound without terminal blank M4. "Hawkins and Boswell gree that Rasselas was written to help the dying Sarah Johnson (Johnson's mother) and eventually to pay for her funeral. Johnson told Reynolds he wrote the work in the evenings of a single week, which implies a commencement at least on Monday 15 January, the date on which he learned of his mother's illness and on which he first sent her money" (Fleeman). (Inventory #: WB16281)