The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem

A handsome early 19th-century edition of Scott's celebrated narrative poem, bound in full contemporary calf. The boards are decorated with a gilt-tooled dotted border, and the spine has raised bands with gilt compartment tooling and a morocco label. Marbled endpapers throughout in a rich green, pink, and gilt pattern. The binding shows honest wear consistent with its age: rubbing and scuffing to the leather on both boards, with scattered surface scratches; the front joint is cracking with some splitting at the head and tail of the spine (text block remains firmly attached); corners are bumped and show some wear through to the boards. The spine leather is worn with some loss, particularly toward the head and tail. Internally, the text block is clean and complete, with the title page, dedication leaf (to Charles, Earl of Dalkeith), and full text through to the closing "THE END" on p. 351 all present. There is light to moderate foxing and some scattered spotting on the title page and a number of leaves throughout, along with a faint ghosting/offset impression of the title-page text visible on the facing blank leaf — typical of paper and ink of the period. No major tears, no loose leaves noted, no writing or ownership marks visible in the photographs. Overall: a solid, displayable copy of an important Romantic-era poem in its original leather, showing appropriate wear for a book over two centuries old, with a complete and legible text block.…