George Eliot’s and George Henry Lewes’s Copies of Her Work

Abstract

Abstract Lot 529 of the Sotheby’s 27 June 1923, sale of George Eliot’s and George Henry Lewes’s work consisted of: “Eliot (George) Scenes of Clerical Life, 2 vols., Edinb. 1858; Adam Bede, 3 vols., ib. 1859; The Mill on the Floss, 3 vol. ib. 1860; Silas Marner, ib. 1861; Romola, 3 vol. 1863; Felix Holt, 3 vol. Edinb. 1866; The Spanish Gypsy (joint broken), ib. 1868; Middlemarch, 4 vol. 1871–2; Daniel Deronda, 4 vol. ib 1876; ALL FIRST EDITIONS; and Romola, illustrated edition, 1865. G. H. LEWES’S SET OF GEORGE ELIOT’S WORKS, with his signature on the title of Vol. I of the Scenes of Clerical Life, and corrections in the hand of George Eliot (the line referring to Right of Translation cut off some titles, and one marginal note cut into), uniform morocco gilt, g.e. except Spanish Gypsy, which is bound in Russia, g.e. (25).” This article describes these volumes, their history, and assesses their importance.