Samuel Johnson — The Idler

London, J. Newbery, 1761. First edition. Leather. The scarce first collected edition of Samuel Johnson's influential essays, first published in the 'Universal Chronicle' from 1758-1760. The first collected edition.  Scarce.  Uniformly bound in a contemporary half speckled calf, with marbled paper covered boards and red morocco spine labels. Bound with contemporary endpapers and blanks.  Lacking contents leaves to both volumes (Volume I A3&4; Volume II A2&3).  ESTC No.T153829 Comprising 103 popular essays, all but twelve of them written by Samuel Johnson. Includes 'The Imaginary Housewife', 'Scheme for News-writers', 'Plan of Military Action', 'Discourses on the Weather', 'Art of Advertising', 'False Criticisms on Painting' and many more.  Johnson's biographer James Boswell recalled that Johnson wrote some of the essays in The Idler "as hastily as an ordinary letter", though they were so popular that other publications began reprinting them without permission. One of the essays titled 'Debtors in Prison' appeared as a replacement for the essay 'The Vulture', which was omitted once the work took book form for its provocative anti-war satire. In a contemporary half speckled calf binding, with marbled paper covered boards and red morocco spine labels. Externally, rubbed to the extremities, with joints cracked but holding to Vol I. Volume II front hinge is coming away to the tail following the front free endpaper. Small losses to the heads and tails of the spines. Armorial bookplate of one John Bamford Slack to the front paste downs, possibly the Liberal MP and Methodist lay preacher (1857-1909). Internally, firmly bound. Pages are generally bright and clean, with occasional light scattered spotting. With contemporary ownership inscription scribbled out to Vol I title page. Good . Ill.: None. Good .