PHINEAS REDUX

London: Chapman and Hall, 1874. 2 volumes. First edition. This set with the fine provenance of Morris L. Parrish, with his engraved bookplate, and with the later bookplate of Vincent Newton. Illustrated with 24 plates engraved on wood. Tall 8vo, in the publisher's original handsome decorated cloth, the upper covers with an ornate panel in black with central gilt tooled device all in a botanical motif, the spine with rules in black and decorative bands and lettering in gilt. vi, [1], 339; vi, [1], 329 pp. A very handsome set of this work notoriously scarce in original cloth. The textblock is quite fresh and clean with no spotting, a touch to the prelims, the cloth still bright and attractive, some expert and very discreet refurbishment to the spine panels preserving the original decorated cloth entirely. A SUPERIOR COPY OF THE RARE FIRST EDITION.
PHINEAS REDUX can be considered a sequel to PHINEAS FINN and both are part of Trollope's "Palliser" series of novels. Along with the Parliamentary themes of British and Irish politics common to all of the Palliser books we find Lady Eustace returns after being the primary character of the third book of the series.
One of the most celebrated book collectors of his generation, Morris L. Parrish (1867 - 1944) amassed one of the greatest collections of the Victorian novelists ever assembled. By the onset of the First World War, he had become one of the world's most highly respected collectors, his taste, technique, and acumen setting a standard still followed to this day. Much of his collection, approximately 6,500 volumes and around 1,250 manuscripts, now rests in its own room in the Special Collections section of Princeton University Library.