MAZEPPA, A POEM.
Byron, George G.N., Lord:
London: John Murray, 1819. [8],[5]-71,[1]pp. plus inserted [8]pp. catalogue dated June 1819. Original drab wrappers, untrimmed. Spine neatly rebacked in matching paper, somewhat dusty and foxed, light fraying at wrapper edges, mended tear at gutter of half-title and title, but a good copy. Somewhat faded cloth slipcase. First edition, second issue, with the imprint transferred from p.70 (now blank) to the verso of p.71. Byron began the appended prose "Fragment" (which Murray included here without Byron's consent) on the same evening Mary Shelley began FRANKENSTEIN. Although he abandoned any further progress on it, it provided the seed of inspiration for Polidori's THE VAMPYRE. The first edition encompassed 8000 copies. RANDOLPH, pp.70-1. WISE I, 132-3. TINKER 570. BLEILER (SUPERNATURAL) 320.
(Item ID: WRCLIT67628) $500.00