Queen Mab.
London: Printed and Published by W. Clark, 1821.
Price: $1,250.00
About the item
First published edition. 182, [2] pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Contemporary three quarter green morocco and cloth. Bookplate of Barnton. Fine. Granniss 19; Tinker 1888.
Item #246037
Though a piracy by William Clark – with the help of book pirate Thomas Moses, whose monogram appears in black letter below the imprint on the penultimate leaf – the is the first published edition of Shelley's first poem of any length. It was privately printed in 1813 in a very small edition, and originally contained a poetical dedication to Harriet. Shelley was in the habit of cutting out the title page and the dedication in copies he gave to friends, to avoid his inflammatory views about politics, the family, and religion being noted by the authorities.
There are two known versions of this edition, the first that prints the notes in their entirety and excises the dedication, and a second that includes the dedication and deletes words and lines from the notes. Shelley wrote a letter from Pisa on June 22, 1821, both "exonerat[ing]" himself and asking to "restrain the sale." Clark, threatened by prosecution (for Vice), voluntarily discontinued distribution after selling about only 50 copies. He was brought to trial and found guilty, serving four months. Clark's piracy was the first of three caused Shelley's poem, and the ideas therein, to be discussed publicly for the first time.
This copy has certain sections omitted on pp. 146 & 147, it is lacking the advertising page, and in its place is bound the dedication "To Harriet," from Carlile's 1822 edition (that used Clark's plates).
