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The Analysis of the Hunting Field By Robert Smith Surtees. 1846/7 First edition, second Issue Printed in London for Rudolph Ackermann.The Volume is in Very Good Condition Bound in pebbled red cloth, with gilt stamp-work on the front board and spine, blind rules, and with leaf edges gilt. Externally the boards and spine are lightly scuffed and moderately stained, with repairs to the tail of the spine. Internally the leaves are generally clean and amply margined, with some moderate foxing on occasion, with moderate toning on occasion. The volume has been expertly re-cased with new endpapers. The Volume is Complete in All Respects With All colour plates and coloured additional engraved title, final advertisements, as well as the additional 1846 cancel preface from the first issue. The volume is paginated as follows: [2], [v]-vi, [1]-326, [4]. The volume collates as follows: [A]-2S4, 2T5. The volume measures about 25 cm. By 16.5 cm. By 3 cm. Each leaf measures about 240 mm. By 150 mm. Tooley, English Books with Coloured Prints, p375. " There are two issues, First issue in green cloth with both titles and the preface dated 1846. Second issue in red cloth, with the preface dated 1846 but usually 1847. Some copies have both the prefaces, the cancel of 1846 and the 1847. Issued with gilt edges and ungilted edges, the former being superior." (Our Copy). Robert Smith Surtees was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer, widely known as R. S. Surtees. In 1825 he began contributing to the Sporting Magazine, before launching out on his own with the New Sporting Magazine in 1831, contributing the comic papers which appeared as Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities in 1838. Jorrocks, the sporting cockney grocer, with his vulgarity and good-natured artfulness, was a great success with the public, and Surtees produced more Jorrocks novels in the same vein, notably Handley Cross and Hillingdon Hall, where the description of the house is very reminiscent of Hamsterley. Another hero, Soapey Sponge, appears in Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour, possibly Surtees best work. All Surtees' novels were composed at Hamsterley Hall, where he wrote standing up at a desk, like Victor Hugo.In 1835, Surtees abandoned his legal practice and after inheriting Hamsterley Hall in 1838, devoted himself to hunting and shooting, meanwhile writing anonymously for his own pleasure. He was a friend and admirer of the great hunting man Ralph Lambton, who had his headquarters at Sedgefield County Durham, the 'Melton of the North'. Surtees became Lord High Sheriff of Durham in 1856. He died in Brighton in 1864, and was buried in Ebchester church. Though Surtees did not set his novels in any readily identifiable locality, he uses North East place-names like Sheepwash, Howell (How) Burn, and Winford Rig. His memorable Geordie James Pigg, in Handley Cross, is based on Joe Kirk, a Slaley huntsman. The famous incident, illustrated by Leech, when Pigg jumps into the melon frame was inspired by a similar episode involving Kirk in Corbridge. As a creator of comic personalities, Surtees is still readable today. Thackeray envied him his powers of observation, while William Morris considered him "a master of life" and ranked him with Dickens. The novels are engaging and vigorous, and abound with sharp social observation, with a keener eye than Dickens for the natural world. Perhaps Surtees most resembles the Dickens of Pickwick Papers, which was originally intended as mere supporting matter for a series of sporting illustrations to rival Jorrocks. Visit our website for More Images and/or Binding Spins. Seller Inventory # ABE-1553694814074
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