The Poetical Works of Goldsmith, Beattie, and Campbell
 
Published: London: John Walker, 61 Conduit Street, Regent Street, 1852
Printed by: Macintosh, Printer, Great New-Street, London
Edition: Presumed first edition of this compilation
Illustrated: Yes, numerous vignettes throughout the text, with a woodcut title vignette of “Lissey, The Residence of the Goldsmiths”
Pagination: xii, 334pp
Binding: Full diced calf gilt with raised bands and ornate gilt-tooled compartments
Dimensions: Approx. 17.4 × 12.5 × 2.7 cm
Weight: Approx. 411g
 
Features and Historical Context:
This finely bound Victorian volume brings together the poetic works of three influential literary figures of the 18th and 19th centuries, Oliver Goldsmith, James Beattie, and Thomas Campbell, along with biographical memoirs prefacing each section.
 
Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774), an Irish novelist, poet, and essayist, is celebrated for his charming and witty prose and verse. Among his most beloved works are The Deserted Village and The Vicar of Wakefield.
James Beattie (1735–1803), a Scottish poet and philosopher, gained acclaim for The Minstrel, a reflective and emotionally rich meditation on poetic development.
Thomas Campbell (1777–1844), known for his lyrical romantic style, produced stirring narrative poetry that resonated throughout the 19th century, such as The Pleasures of Hope.
 
This edition is richly illustrated with numerous engraved vignettes throughout and includes a decorative woodcut title-page vignette depicting “Lissey,” ancestral home of Goldsmith’s family. The text block is framed by all-edge marbling, and the volume is further embellished with marbled endpapers and a ribbon marker.
 
Binding:
Bound in handsome full diced calf, featuring gilt-ruled borders and an elegantly tooled and panelled spine with raised bands, gilt decorations, and gilt title label on brown panel.
The binding is robust and intact, with expected age-related wear, including:
Soft bumping to corners
Light rubbing to board surfaces and spine edges
Slight wear to upper joint of spine
A few scattered light marks
 
Condition Report:
Boards: Complete and firm with superficial wear typical for age
Spine: Lightly worn, with minor wear to upper joint
Text block: Tightly bound overall, with all pages secure.
Gutters: Very light partial cracks at front endpaper hinge and at contents page; some rubbing to paper, but all structurally sound.  There is also a light crack in the gutter to the side of the first contents page.
Pages:
General light age toning throughout
Very occasional small marks or light foxing, not affecting legibility or illustrations
Mostly uncreased with only a few discreet folds
No tears or missing pages
Inscriptions:
Front free endpaper bears two period ink inscriptions:
“To Mary, from a friend”
“Given to dear Mother by Mr. J”
No further writing or annotation
Endpapers & Edges: Marbled endpapers fresh; all edges marbled
 
Summary:
An attractive and well-preserved example of a mid-19th century literary anthology in an elegant period binding. The inclusion of vignettes and biographies offers readers both aesthetic and educational appeal. The full diced calf gilt binding, decorative marbling, and strong internal condition make this a charming collector’s copy of a classic poetic compilation.