Halidon Hill: A Dramatic Sketch, from Scottish History
Price: $4,500.00
Hard Cover. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable & Co., 1822. First Edition. Near Fine.
First edition, first impression, lacking half-title page. Presentation copy, inscribed by Scott on front flyleaf: "Miss Atkinson / With the author's kind respect." Finely bound in contemporary green English straight grained morocco, with boards elaborately bordered in blind, large central diamond design in gilt to boards, spine elaborately lettered, ruled and decorated in gilt and blind, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins, and brown endpapers. Near fine, with light rubbing to spine ends, joints, and corners, some toning to spine, bright gilt, some very light marks to boards, corners lightly bumped, book collector William A. Strutz's bookplate to front pastedown, and light spotting to a few pages at front and rear of book. Overall, an attractively bound presentation copy. Todd & Bowden 158Aa. As with many of Scott's publications, Halidon Hill is rooted in the history and landscape of the Scottish border regions; Halidon Hill was the location of a notable 14th century battle in the Anglo-Scottish wars, which Scott elaborates on in his prefatory advertisement. In their bibliography, Todd & Bowden comment on the publication of this text: "As Scott explained to Byron the day after issue, this sketch was intended for Joanna Baillie's forthcoming Collection of Poems but, as it soon 'ran out of bounds', was now published separately." Accordingly, Scott dedicated Halidon Hill to Baillie instead of Byron, whom Todd & Bowden claim was the original dedicatee of choice. Item #SWS112
