Queen Mab.

SHELLEY, Percy Bysshe.

Published by London: Printed and published by W. Clark . 1821, 1821

About this Item

8vo., pp. 182; without dedication leaf and terminal advertisement leaf, as is often the case; otherwise a good, clean copy in recent quarter calf and boards.Second (first published edition) of Shelley's most provocative poem. The radical bookseller and pirate William Clark came across a copy of the privately-printed first edition in 1821 and brought out this unauthorized text, 'studious in adhering to the original copy', printing the notes in French, Latin and Greek in their original language, but helpfully providing a translation for the general reader (statement on page [92]). There were in fact two versions of Clark's text, one (as here) with some of the more aggressive passages expurgated, the other printing the poem and notes complete. For his pains Clark (described by Shelley as 'one of the low booksellers in the Strand'), was prosecuted by the Society for the Prevention of Vice and imprisoned for four months. Unintentionally Shelley had reached a new audience through Clark's and other piracies. Queen Mab became the most widely read of Shelley's poems, and in later years an inspiration for the Chartists.Buxton Forman 22; Granniss 19. Language: English. Seller Inventory # K9175

Bibliographic Details

Title: Queen Mab.

Publisher: London: Printed and published by W. Clark . 1821

Publication Date: 1821

Binding: Hardcover

Edition: 1st Edition