Sketch of a descriptive Journey through Switzerland, to which is added the Passage of St Gothard a poem, by her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire.

LASCELLES, Rowley (1771-1841). CAVENDISH, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806).

Edité par Berne, Burgdorfer, 1816.

A propos de cet article

First Swiss Edition, Expanded. in the original printed pink wrappers, a little bumped, simple border to covers, title printed on spine. 8vo (218 x 136 mm), engraved frontispiece and pp. [ii], iv, 92, 10 advertisements ?Catalogue des principaux ouvrages de dessin et de gravure. qui se trouvent chez J.J. Burgdorfer?, some light foxing, untrimmed, A scarce edition of Lascelles? Swiss travelogue printed especially for the tourist market. ?English people, who are travelling through Switzerland, and who have, from political reasons, been long debarred this pleasure,? writes the editor of this edition, ?find, that they want proper directions to instruct them in the most essential particulars, relative to this interesting, and truly picturesque country, particularly those, who are unacquainted with the French or German language, as there exist but few English books calculated, to facilitate these necessary instructions. I presume to supply this want? In addition to Lascelles? text, which was originally published in London in 1796, the anonymous editor, possibly Burgdorfer, has updated and revised the text, with sometimes extensive footnotes and the addition of explanatory notes. He has also added, as a supplement to the text, the Duchess of Devonshire?s popular poem written about the sublime beauties of Switzerland, ?The Passage of St Gothard?: ?written in 1793, and first published in a couple of English newspapers in 1799. It prompted no less a celebrity than Samuel Taylor Coleridge to respond three days later with an ?Ode to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire? beginning ?Splendour?s fondly-fostered child?.? The first separately printed edition of the Duchess of Devonshire?s poem appeared in 1798-1799 and is a legendary rarity, with only two copies known. See Charles Warren, ?An Alpine bibliographical curiosity?, Alpine Journal, 1984. WorldCat lists three copies in Switzerland, BL, NLS, Bodleian; NYPL, Princeton, Harvard, Huntington, DLC, Haverford College.

N° de réf. du vendeur 4149

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Sketch of a descriptive Journey through Switzerland, to which is added the Passage of St Gothard a poem, by her Grace the Duchess of Devonshire.
• Éditeur: Berne, Burgdorfer, 1816.
• Reliure: Couverture souple
• Édition: Edition originale
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Travel