Selections from The English Poets: From Spenser to Beattie
 
Published 1835 • Scott & Webster (London) • Half Leather-and-Paper Binding
24 Steel-Engraved Illustrations • Nearly 200-Year-Old Antiquarian Poetry Anthology
 
Book Overview
 
A stunning 1835 antiquarian anthology featuring selections from major English poets, from Spenser through to Beattie, beautifully illustrated with 24 steel engravings, including a portrait frontispiece. The volume is finely bound in half leather and marbled paper boards, with marble-patterned pastedowns and endpapers, and all edges sprinkled.
 
The engravings are by celebrated artists Henry Corbould (whose sketch formed the basis for the Penny Black stamp portrait), C. Heath, C. Rolls, and W. Finden. This deluxe decorative book remains in a rare and collectible condition.
 
Historical Context & Rarity
 
Scott & Webster, Charterhouse Square, London, were known for refined literary volumes in the 19th century. This edition’s imprint confirms a firm date of 1835, making it nearly two centuries old.
 
This format, a half leather-and-paper binding with full illustration and marbled boards, is uncommon. Most anthologies of the period were plain cloth without such detail. But this edition, with a full complement of illustrations and decorative binding, scores significantly higher on rarity and aesthetic quality.
 
Exterior Condition
 
Half leather-and-marble paper binding with marbled boards and matching pastedowns and endpapers
Only remnants of gilt tooling on the spine, now rubbed but structurally sound
No gilt titles on spine due to wear
Light wear to spine ends and board edges, including bumping and minor splits at corners
Spine head and base shows splitting but remains intact and attached
Marbled paper boards show some rubbing and light scratches
Binding remains robust
 
Interior Condition
 
All 406 pages present, including frontispiece and all 24 engravings
Slight tanning overall; light foxing on preliminary pages and occasional stains on the pages (see photographs for examples)
A few small creases and tiny edge rips (text unaffected)
Protective tissue guards largely intact; guards missing from illustrations facing pages 175 and 291
Slight crack in gutter between front pastedown and front free endpaper only; binding otherwise secure
 
Provenance Detail
 
A bookplate label for Free Lending Library, 30 Market Place, Devizes is pasted to the front free endpaper, with a pencil annotation on the front flyleaf referencing the same. No other writing is present.
 
The Free Lending Library in Devizes, located in the historic Market Place, aligns with early municipal or subscription libraries operating in provincial towns during the 19th century. While direct archival references are sparse, sources indicate Devizes fostered reading institutions and scientific institutes in the early to mid-1800s, including literary lending circulating collections supported by local societies. This label adds a layer of local historical interest and provenance appeal.
 
Measurements & Weight
 
Size: approx. 17.1 × 11.2 × 3.4 cm
Weight: approx. 436 g
 
Notable Contributors
 
Henry Corbould (1787–1844): English artist whose sketch formed the basis of Queen Victoria’s image on the Penny Black stamp.
William Finden, C. Heath, C. Rolls: Prominent Victorian-era engravers and illustrators.