Description

Text in French. Two volumes, bound in matching dark blue cloth, with gold lettering and decorative motif on spines. Dust-jackets extant. Edited with a historical introduction and notes by Guy Chapman. Illustrated with four plates per volume, the fronispeice of volume I being a color representation of Fonthill. Text untrimmed, and partially unopened. “Written in French, Vathek was first published in Lausanne and Paris in 1787. But before the original text could appear, an English translation had been issued in London without the author’s authority; and the treacherous tale of the Rev. Samuel Henley, who disobeyed is patron’s orders and issued the translation to his own advantage, is related by Mr. Chapman in full and correct detail. After finishing Vathek itself, Beckford had settled to the composition of the so called Episodes of Vathek– interpolated narratives which were intended to form part of the work and should have appeared with it. That they never did so, was of course due to the premature issue of Henley’s translation which compelled Beckford to an equally premature publication of his original text. ..[This] is therefore the first complete edition of Vathek as Beckford planned it and in the language in which he originally wrote it.” {From the dust-jacket blurb on front cover.} Text in French. Chapman’s introduction and notes in English. Printed at the University Press, Cambridge in a limited edition of 1,000 sets. Dust-jackets are chipped, edgeworn and foxed, but complete. Books are in very good+ condition. Dust-jackets are fair to good. A rather scarce edition of this fantastic oriental tale.