Brick Row Book Shop

Scott Satirizes the Waverley Novels

[SCOTT, SIR WALTER].

Tales of the Crusaders. By the Author of “Waverley, Quentin Durward,” &c.

Place and Imprint: Edinburgh: Archibald Constable; London: Hurst, Robinson, 1825.
Edition: First edition.
Bibliographical References: Todd & Bowden 181A; NCBEL III, 674.
Condition: Some light foxing and wear; two spines carefully repaired (one, as noted above, rebacked with the label supplied in facsimile); very good copy in contemporary state, enclosed in two pull-off cases.
Book ID: 28571

Physical Description

4 vols, 8vo, original blue boards and printed paper labels (volume one has been rebacked with the label supplied in facsimile), untrimmed. With half-titles and four-page Archibald Constable catalogue at the end of volume four.

Comments

A further installment in Walter Scott's famous Waverley Novels; this one contains two tales, The Betrothed and The Talisman under the general title Tales of The Crusades, and the amusing 28-page introduction by Scott, comprised of the imaginary "Minutes of sederunt of a general meeting of the share-holders designing to form a joint-stock company, united for the purpose of writing and publishing the class of works called the Waverley Novels, held in the Waterloo Tavern, Regent's Bridge, Edinburgh, 1st June, 1825." Those in attendance were characters from earlier Waverley Novels, among them Jonathan Oldbuck, Captain Clutterbuck, and Dr. Dryasdust, who argue amongst themselves about how to go forward with the series until they are forcefully called to order by Eidolon (presumably a fictional Walter Scott), who boldly announces that the next work will be the "Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, by the Author of Waverley."

Price: $650.00