Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded, Samuel Richardson, 1820s

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson is an early and influential example of the epistolary novel, written in the form of letters and presenting a sustained moral narrative centred on virtue, conduct, and social relations. First issued in the mid-eighteenth century, the work remained widely read and frequently reprinted into the nineteenth century. This early nineteenth-century London edition reflects the continuing popularity of Richardson’s novel with a later readership and includes the customary prefatory material and illustrative plates associated with editions of this period, offering a solid and attractive example of a well-known and much-read English novel.

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded; In A Series of letters from A Beautiful Young Damsel To Her Parents. Published in Order to Cultivate the principles of Virtue and religion in the Minds of the Youth of Both Sexes. A Narrative. by Samuel Richardson. To Which are Prefixed, Extracts from Several Curious letters Written to the editor on the Subject.

Printed for Thomas Kelly, Paternoster Row, by W. Clowes, Stamford Street, London. Undated, but circa 1821–1825. An early nineteenth century Kelly edition, printed by Clowes shortly after his establishment at Stamford Street.

A good (+) copy of this work. Hardback with leather spine and corners with raised bands, gilt burgundy morocco title label and tooled decoration to spine. Boards covered in burgundy chagrin grained cloth. Leather worn and rubbed with some sun marks to top of cloth. Some wear and bumping. Endpapers at inner hinges cracked, but all soundly bound.

Text pages are bright and clean throughout with occasional age spot or mark. One plate with small marginal closed tear to edge. An attractive volume.