Marmion by Sir Walter Scott
 
Sixth Edition (1810) - Complete in Two Volumes
Full Diced Calf Binding with Gilt-panelled Spines - Illustrated - Provenance: William Phillips (Noted Collector)
 
Overview
A handsome two-volume set of Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field by Sir Walter Scott, the Sixth Edition published in 1810 by Archibald Constable & Co. (Edinburgh), William Miller (Albemarle Street), and John Murray (London), printed by James Ballantyne & Co., Edinburgh.
 
First published in 1808, Marmion is a celebrated narrative poem recounting the tragic love and political intrigue surrounding Lord Marmion during the Battle of Flodden Field. It explores themes of honour, betrayal, and redemption, and includes Scott’s immortal line:
“O what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practise to deceive!”
 
Illustrations
Both volumes include attractive engraved plates with their original tissue guards.
Volume I: Frontispiece; plates facing pp. 85, 110, 146, and 164.
Volume II: Plates facing pp. 26, 40, 93, 110, 167, 170, and 201.
 
Binding & Physical Details
Binding: Full diced calf with gilt-panelled spines and black morocco labels with gilt titles; marbled edges and endpapers throughout.
Dimensions: 18.8 × 13 cm each; spine widths approximately 2 cm (Vol. I) and 2.3 cm (Vol. II); total weight ~839 g.
Both volumes are structurally intact; there are partial splits down the long edge of the spine on each volume. These splits are stable but should be reviewed in the photographs for clarity.
 
Condition – Volume I
Full diced calf, gilt spine, minor rubbing and surface wear.
Partial split down the spine (see photographs).
Internally clean with very occasional tiny marks; very light foxing on endpapers, plates, and tissue guards. One small tear at the bottom edge of p. 37 (and verso), not impacting text; no creases or other tears.
 
Condition – Volume II
Matching binding with partial spine split (see photographs), minor rubbing and wear.
Internally very neat and clean overall, with occasional very small/light marks. Very light foxing on endpapers, plates, and tissue guards.
Tiny hole near the edge of pp. 93–96 and a very small hole in the rear flyleaf, text unaffected.
 
Inscriptions & Provenance
Each volume features small pen inscriptions on the front flyleaf and half-title page.
Both volumes carry an armorial bookplate of William Phillips, with the Latin motto “Re invictus non re vinctus” (“Again unconquered, not reconquered”).
Recent research suggests that William Phillips was an active and dedicated book collector, as other books bearing this bookplate have surfaced in the rare book market. Although no direct biographical details are confirmed, this provenance points to a serious 19th-century bibliophile.
 
Summary
A well-presented Sixth Edition of Scott’s Marmion, richly illustrated and handsomely bound in full diced calf with gilt spines. While the bindings are intact, partial spine splits are present on both volumes, as detailed in the photographs. Internally, the set is pleasingly clean with only minimal age-related marks and two minor non-textual flaws. An excellent addition for collectors of Romantic-era poetry or those who appreciate historical bindings with traceable provenance.