Endymion: A Poetic Romance.

Keats, John

Sangorski & Sutcliffe (illus.)

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London: Taylor and Hessey, 1818. Octavo. ix, 207pp. First edition with both errata leaves, but lacking the half title and ads, as is typical with rebound copies. Perhaps best-known for its opening lines, which proclaim that "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," this long Romantic epic was the second of three books that Keats published during his brief life. This copy has been bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe in full dark green morocco, blind-stamped on both covers with hearts, stars, and dots, and gilt-stamped in the center of the front cover with an elaborately detailed urn, the center of the rear cover showing a gilt harp with blind-stamped strings. Borders on both covers show a double gilt rule, followed by a band of gilt chevrons and dots, the corners showing a gilt leaf spray, the whole being surrounded by a another double rule of gilt. Spine gilt in six compartments with gilt-stamped designs involving oak leaves. Turn-ins gilt with a pattern of gilt rule and dots with an oak leaf device in the corner. Loden silk doublures and endleaves. T.e.g. Leather booklabels of Paul Francis Webster, the Oscar-winning lyricist and noted book collector, and binding collector Paul Edward Chevalier on front paste-down and front endpaper verso, respectively. A very fine example of Keats' most memorable work, elegantly bound and housed in a dropback box of green morocco-backed cloth. (Item ID: 23560)

(Hayward 232)