The Scottish Chiefs, a Romance by Miss Jane Porter. Volumes One to Four (of five). London; Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme; 1810.
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The first edition, an incredibly scarce find for which we could not trace any other examples for sale by an early female author writing in the time of Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters, amongst others.
Early female author books are always highly sought after, and this being the first edition of one of Jane Porter’s most well known works brings about significance! Many regard this as her magnum opus.
“Jane Porter’s 1810 work The Scottish Chiefs, about William Wallace, one of the earliest examples of the historical novel, was very successful. The French version was banned by Napoleon. It was said to have influenced Sir Walter Scott and other writers and has remained popular with Scottish children.”
Size: 110 x 180 x 30 mm each.
Condition:
Text blocks toned with minor foxing. Prominent wear to spines with small fragments lacking. Damage to headcaps and tails. All boards loosely attached with prominent wear or breaks to joints and hinges (secured with binding string). Minor scuffing and rubbing on baords. Two bookplates attached on front pastedown in all volumes. Pen ownership inscription on title page in all volumes (on some the signature if cut off). Pen ownership inscription on preliminary page in all volumes.
