First edition, first issue with error on line 11 on p. 372 of Vol. II. Four volumes, 8vo. Special publisher's presentation binding of original violet cloth lettered in gilt to the spines with all edges gilt. Author's presentation copy, inscribed to the front pastedown, "Revd. John Gibson / from his sincere / friend / Charles Reade." A very good set indeed with uniformly darkened spines and a little wear to the spine ends, ink mark to the front cover of vol. I and some wear and fraying to the rear joint. Hinges mostly with superficial cracking, but sound, lacking the rear endpaper to vol IV. Internally, notably clean. A well preserved copy of a book very seldom encountered in unrepaired original cloth.
With an autograph letter from the author regarding the publication of this book. The whole housed in chemises and a quarter morocco slipcase.

A rare presentation issue of Reade's best known work described by Walter Besant as "the greatest historical novel in the language" and by Oscar Wilde as Reade's "one beautiful book". The novel was briefly serialised in the magazine, Once a Week, under the title of A Good Fight in 1859 before Reade extended it for publication in book form.
This copy is noted by John Carter in his More Binding Variants (1938) as one of "only two examples of this elegant variation so far recorded are both presentations makes it tolerably certain that this is an author's, not a mere presentation or gift style". We have since found a third example in violet cloth (sold Sothebys 1975) also an author's presentation copy, inscribed to F.Ledger, which corroborates Carter's opinion that this binding was commissioned for author's copies.
It has been a staple in the great collections of nineteenth century literature, with copies recorded in such collections as Bradley Martin, Doheney, Doris Benz, Mrs Insley Blair and Jerome Kern, though none of them possessed presentation copies.
The autograph letter from Reade is to a Mr. Cornwallis, 12 September [1861], 2 pages, which reads: "I send you herewith the first instalment of early sheets of my new novel. The title is 'The Cloister on the Hearth.' I am ashamed to say the work will contain 1,500 of these pages. If you are out of it I will take 15 per cent. If you are in it, 12. But I look to you to secure a genuine return, for that is the difficulty with these pubs. There is considerable competition am[ong] publishers here to have the book..."

Sadleir 1999;

Stock ID: 45451