The Old English Baron, A Gothic Story

New York: Owen Phelan, 1834. First or Early American edition. 1834. Fair condition. Light scattered foxing. Most of black leather spine label has perished. Chip at top of spine. Evidence of "bio-predation" (some creature has gnawed along one edge of the leather cover -- about two inches). Small marginal worm hole (text is not affected). Lacks front flyleaf. Better than it sounds. Binding is square and tight. Hinges/joints are perfectly sound. The full leather binding is contemporary "sprinkled" calf (i.e. intentionally, and in this case attractively speckled, to achieve a marbled paper-like effect). First published in 1777 as THE CHAMPION OF VIRTUE, the book has been frequently reprinted under the present title. Although early London printings are available in abundance, early United States printings appear to be exceedingly scarce. "A Gothic novel derivative from Horace Walpole's THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO. includes some supernaturalism in the haunted chambers of the castle." -- Bleiler 1374 [GUIDE TO SUPERNATURAL FICTION]. "Reeve gets credit for installing Gothic literature's first haunted chamber within the castle complex." -- Tymn 1-322 [HORROR LITERATURE, A CORE COLLECTION AND REFERENCE GUIDE]. American Imprints 26489. Also cited in Hubin, Montague Summers THE GOTHIC QUEST, etc. . First or Early American edition. Hardcover. Fair condition. 12mo. vi, 162pp.…