[STERNE, Laurence, 1713-1768]

A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy by Mr. Yorick, [bound with] Yorick’s sentimental journey, continued; [and with] A political romance

London: [n.p.], Printed in the Year MDCCLXIX [1769]. Quarter-bound Leather. Three titles bound in one, all issued (no printer or publisher given) in 1769, complete in five volumes, continuously paginated in Arabic and Roman numerals. 12mo: 150,[3],cliv-clxvi,[1],168-306pp. "Yorick’s sentimental journey, continued . . . By Eugenius" (i.e., John Hall-Stevenson) comprises vols. III (which also includes "Some account of the life and writings of Mr. Sterne by Eugenius") and IV; vol. V is "A political romance, addressed to - - Esq. of York, Sterne's satire on ecclesiastical disputes at York, originally published in 1759 but suppressed. Each volume with separate title page. Nicely rebound in quarter calf, spine in six compartments stamped in blind and numbered in gilt, red leather lettering piece gilt, marbled paper-covered boards, end papers renewed. Contents lightly foxed and browned, some light page-creasing throughout. ESTC Citation No. T14751. For first edition, see: Rothschild 1971. Tinker Library 1978. Cross (Sterne), p. 603-04. Grolier English 100, 54. Sterling 808. Lowndes 2509. Pine-Coffin R788 (noting: "a mostly imaginative work, is unfinished and contains little reference to Italy. Eugenis is also unconnected with Italy."). Very Good +. Item #BB0224

Scarce early edition, appearing one year after the first. "The real journey immortalized in the story was made in October, 1765; in December, 1767, two volumes were completed, and on February 27, the work was published . . . On the eighteenth of March, Sterne died," at age 54 of tuberculosis. Sterne had used the pseudonym Yorick twice before (in Tristram Shandy and in Sermons by Mr. Yorick), "so the authorship of this book was probably never in doubt." (Grolier English 100) "Sterne’s wry and poignant farewell to the world. . . . Having produced a ribald and parodic account of the increasingly popular Grand Tour narrative as volume VII of Tristram Shandy, Sterne now conceived of a different kind of travel book, 'something new, quite out of the beaten track,' as he wrote to his daughter . . .' Contemporaries reviewed A Sentimental Journey as a travel narrative, rather than a novel, and admired the games which Sterne played with the conventions of the genre." (Literary Encyclopedia) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Price: $274.00