[MALORY, SIR THOMAS]. [La Mort D'Arthur] The history of the renowned Prince Arthur, King of Britain: with his life and death, and all his glorious battles. Likewise, the noble acts and heroic deeds of his valiant knights of the Round Table. London: Printed for Walker and Edwards; J. Richardson [& 15 others], 1816.
Seventh edition (unstated). Complete in two volumes. Hardcover. Leather-bound. Small format duodecimo (135 x 75 mm.), pp. [xxxii], 468; [xvi], 488. English text. Bound in contemporary half calf, smooth spines with gilt banding and lettering, the titles on a brown morocco plate. Marbled paper-covered boards. Red speckled page edges. Half-titles present. Each volume with an engraved frontispiece, decorative title, and letterpress title. Engravings by C. Warren and T. Unwins. The engraved title-pages in each volume with 'The history of the renowned Prince Arthur, and his knights of the Round Table ... London, Published by J. Walker & Co.' Engraved frontispiece of "How King Arthur gave his sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake" in volume I, of "The Vision of Sir Percivale" in volume II. Includes a brief publishing history of Malory; also Caxton's prologue and preface. Printed by J. F. Dove, St. John's Square. Condition: The bindings are tight and secure with the hinges intact, some light rubbing showing on the boards. Textblock remarkably clean with some foxing and browning mostly confined to the engraved frontispieces and titles. Without previous ownership markings. Scarce.
Note: La Morte d'Arthur was first printed by Caxton in 1485 and was followed by editions in 1498, 1529, 1557 and 1634. Owing to the rise of the Commonwealth, stories of kings were generally suppressed; no further editions of the Morte d'Arthur were printed until two editions appeared in 1816 (of which this is said to be the first), marking the start of modern interest in Arthuriana. By 1858, Thomas Wright was already describing this edition as particularly rare. But it is, with the three volume 1816 edition, the earliest more or less obtainable edition of King Arthur available, though copies of the previous edition of 1634 very occasionally come on the market. The engravings are impressive, depicting significant scenes from the story. [Gaines A8; Paden A4].
