Chrysal: Or, The Adventures Of A Guinea..
Bound in recent quarter morocco over marbled boards; Spines in compartments with raised bands, decorated gilt with Contrasting maroon morocco title labels. A very good set.
£165.00
Publisher
Printed for J. Watson, M. Pearce, S. Lewis, G. Longman, and W. Crowder.,
Place
London
Date
1785
Synopsis
Wherin are exhibited views of several striking scenes: with curious and interesting anecdotes of the most noted persons in every rank of life, whose hands it passed through, in america, england, holland, germany and portugal.
by an adept. vols. i and ii.
Item Description
TWO VOLUMES. 12mo. 4.25 x 6.75 inches. Vol. I, xx + 255 pp.; Vol. II, viii + 258 pp. Vols. 1-2 only.
Notes
Published anonymously but known to be the work of Charles Johnstone. The author uses the concept of a guinea constantly changing hands from one owner to another to examine all classes of society: 'An excoriating satire that won Johnstone respect as a wit but few friends, the novel is set roughly during the period of the Seven Years' War (1757–63) and pretends to reveal political secrets, and to expose the private profligacy of many of the well-known—and highly colourful—public characters of the time' (DNB). Charles Johnstone was an Irish novelist and journalist who moved to London and supplemented a meagre legal income from his writing; this proved to be his most popular work. It was translated into French and German and appeared in numerous Dublin and London editions, many of which were pirated. This is probably the case with this 1785 edition as, according to ESTC, the names of the booksellers are fictitious. The first two volumes were first published in 1760 and, owing to their success, Johnstone wrote another two, which first appeared as Volumes three and four in 1765.
[Stock No. 23822]
