St. Leon: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century.

London: for W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, by S. Hamilton,, 1816. Third edition of this "fundamental novel for the occult tradition" (Wolff), first published in 1799, and an inspiration for his daughter's Frankenstein (1818). "St Leon set up an opposition between a life of domestic existence marked by affection, candour, and mutual trust, and a solitary, mistrustful existence absorbed with the pursuit of truth and immortality through the cabbalistic arts. There is no doubt as to which Godwin endorsed, and in his later dispute with Samuel Parr over Political Justice's repudiation of the domestic affections he referred Parr to the novel as containing his more fully developed views" (ODNB). Four volumes, duodecimo (174 x 105 mm). Contemporary calf, twin brown spine labels, smooth spines ruled in gilt with floral device in compartments, sides with twin gilt fillets and supralibros of Whig MP George Agar-Ellis (1797-1833), first Baron Dover, gilt roll on board edges and turn-ins, marbled endpapers and edges. Bound without half-titles. Bindings with occasional slight rubbing, wear, and marks, still presenting nicely, spines lightly sunned, foxing to outer leaves, slight creasing and foxing to vol. 3, pp. 44-66, else clean. An attractively bound copy in very good condition. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years, 899; Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 700; Wolff 2589.