“THIS VENERABLE MANSION WAS DEDICATED TO THE MYSTERIOUS RITES OF UNRESTRAINED LOVE”

(JOHNSON, Charles). Chrysal: or the Adventures of a Guinea. London: Printed for Samuel Richards, 1822. Three volumes. 12mo, 20th-century blue-gray paper boards, original paper spine labels laid down, uncut and partially unopened. Housed in custom full morocco drop-side box. $1100.

Later edition of this amusing satire, illustrated with 12 hand-colored plates. The copy of Paul Francis Webster, the famous book collector and Academy Award-winning lyricist, with his morocco booklabel.

A "novel of circulation"— a genre popular in the 18th century— that follows a coin as it travels through all levels of society, encountering rich and poor, foolish and wise alike. "A masterly but caustic satire, written by Charles Johnson (published anonymously)" (Lowndes, 447). First published in 1760. This copy bears the morocco booklabel of Paul Francis Webster, the famous book collector and Academy Award-winning lyricist. Webster won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated 16 times. Writing for everything from Shirley Temple films to the Spiderman cartoon, Webster made a name for himself as a flexible and talented lyricist. He did his best work during the '50s and '60s, but was active for four decades and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

Plates generally vivid and lovely, only scattered foxing to interiors, minor rubbing and soiling to wrappers. A near-fine copy with an interesting provenance.