Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton - photo 1
Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton - photo 2
Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton - photo 3

Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton

Lot 209
16.06.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967405
Lot 209 | Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton
Estimate value
$ 5 000 – 7 000
Amelia; or, The Faithless Briton. An Original American Novel, founded upon recent facts. To which is added, Amelia, or Malevolence Defeated; and, Miss Seward's Monody on Major Andre. Boston: W. Spotswood and C.P. Wayne, 1798.

An early American novel set during the Revolution, the rare first edition in book form, in a contemporary binding. Amelia tells the story of a perfidious British soldier who tricks and abandons his virtuous American lover—leaving death, destruction, and madness in his wake despite the efforts of her loyal father and brother. Scholars have seen in this plot, originally issued serially in the Columbian Magazine following its publication of the text of the Constitution, a metaphor for the importance of a strong federal government. It was reprinted four times in other magazines before appearing in book form, as here, in 1798 from the same printer. Issued alongside it is the fourth edition of English poet Anna Seward's lament for the traitor Major André, who had been briefly engaged to her intimate friend Honora Sneyd. This publication is sometimes found bound with other Spotswood productions. The last copy recorded at auction by RBH is the Hogan copy in 1945. Evans 33290. See Matthew Pethers, "The Early American Novel in Fragments" in New Directions in the History of the Novel (2014).

12mo (171 x 95mm). Engraved frontispiece by James Trenchard, Monody with separate title (frontispiece just shaved at outer edge, toned with some stains, a few small repairs, 2 leaves with portions torn away and about 60 words supplied in facsimile). Contemporary tree calf (rebacked to style).
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
16.06.2023
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
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