Lot 139
3 volumes, 12mo (165 x 104 mm). Half-titles in each volume; advertisement leaf in Vol. III; paper watermarked 1812. (Lacking final blank O4 in Vol. II, the first few leaves of Vol. I repaired in gutter margin, a few minor repairs or paper flaws touching letters, two leaves in Vol. I torn with neat repairs). 20th-century red straight-grained morocco gilt, turn-ins with gilt thistle roll-tooling, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, stamp-signed by C. J. Sawyer.
FIRST EDITION, written by Austen between February 1811 and June 1813, and published in May 1814 in a relatively small edition of perhaps 1250 copies, priced at 18 shillings in boards. Austen published the work on a commission basis, retaining the copyright to the work which was sold out by November. Despite selling out relatively quickly, no second edition was printed until 1816. Vols. I and III were printed by Sidney, and Vol. II was printed by Roworth. The final leaf in Vol. III advertises the publication of the second editions of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Gilson A6; Keynes p. 11; Sadleir I, 62c.