Les Miserables.

Scarce first printing of this classic work of literature, published in Brussels on the 30th or 31st March 1862. Large octavos, 10 volumes, bound in contemporary calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, red and green morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. The question of priority has been intensely debated in bibliographic circles for years. The findings of Michaux and Lacretelle definitively established primacy of this edition over the one distributed four or five days later in Paris by Pagnerre. The initial confusion stemmed from two sources: first was the prominent appearance of Pagnerre's name--and none other--in the French edition as a "Libraire-editeur," when in fact he was a distributing agent only; second was general acceptance of Vicaire's claim that Hugo corrected only from the proofs for the French edition. Michaux postulated that Hugo used the Belgian editions of his works as models for the Parisian printings. To ensure publication in France, Hugo was forced to amputate certain phrases from Les Misérables that would have offended the French censor. Lacretelle later confirmed Michaux's hypothesis. With the bookplates of Witley Court. Witley Court in  Worcestershire, England is an Italianate mansion that was built for the Foleys in the seventeenth century on the site of a former manor house, it was enormously expanded in the early nineteenth century by the architect John Nash. Subsequently sold to the Earls of Dudley, a second massive reconstruction by the architect Samuel Daukes took place in the mid nineteenth century, creating one of the great pleasure palaces of Victorian and Edwardian England and contained a large library. Volume IV is the First Paris Edition. The “Septième” Edition" on the title page was spurious and meant to help boost sales. Rare and desirable with noted provenance.