"HOW ALL HIS PAGES GLOW WITH CREATIVE FIRE!" (BALZAC)

COOPER, James Fenimore. Mercedes of Castile: or, the Voyage to Cathay. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard, 1840. Two volumes. Octavo, original purple muslin, printed paper spine labels. $500.

First edition of Cooper's historical novel dramatizing Columbus' first voyage to the Americas, in the original cloth.

In the decade of the 1840s, Cooper experienced "a burst of creative energy… [writing] 16 works of fiction, a great amount of controversial literature, and some scholarly and factual works." Mercedes of Castile is about Columbus' first voyage to the Americas, in keeping with the popular thirst for "variety of dramatic incidents… and adventurous plots" (Hart, 165). BAL's state A of paper spine label, no priority assigned. BAL 3893. Bookplates.

Scattered foxing to text; front free endpapers neatly excised, joints expertly repaired. Cloth toned, as usual. A very good copy.