THE PRINCE OF ABISSINIA. A tale. [Rasselas]. This item is unavailable.THE PRINCE OF ABISSINIA. A tale. [Rasselas]

In two volumes. [This copy bound in one volume]. Pp. viii+160(last blank)+viii+166; f'cap. 8vo; early calf, neatly rebacked, with the original gilt decorated spine laid on, plus a later gilt lettered and decorated red morocco title label, edges of boards slightly darkened and rubbed, the fore-corners lightly worn; upper free endpaper replaced by a blank from the rear, book label of Thomas Hammond Foxcroft below the [earlier?] signature of J. Davies on the upper pastedown, two small ink scribbles [overscoring Davies' initials?] on the title page, corners of a few leaves faintly creased, a few light and mainly marginal damp stains, occasional offsetting of letterpress, a little slight soiling and foxing; printed for R. and J. Dodsley and W. Johnston, London, 1759. Second edition. Fleeman 59.4R/3; Chapman & Hazen p. 87; ESTC T57339. *Johnson's only novel, usually known as Rasselas. The widely reported story that Johnson wrote the book in a week, to pay for the funeral expenses of his mother, has been disputed. This second edition follows the first edition page for page, but with corrections (although some mispagination remains and two consecutive chapters are numbered XXVIII). Fleeman, who states that 1,000 copies of the second edition were printed in June 1759, describes it as 'a corrected reimpression' [page 789].…