Leigh Hunt — Stories in Verse

London, Geo. Routledge & Co. 1855. First edition. Cloth. A complete collection of poetry across the career of Leigh Hunt, a leading figure within the literary circles of his day. The first edition of Stories in Verse, an anthology of the greatest narrative poems across the lifetime of English poet and literary critic Leigh Hunt, now first collected. In the publisher's decorative original red cloth, with a title vignette and frontispiece by decorated English artist Henry Corbould.  An admirer of both John Dryden and Chaucer, Hunt's poetry is characterised by satire and wit, including the quirky love poem The Story of Rimini and the Medieval chivalric tale of The Palfrey. Leigh Hunt was a founding editor of the radical intellectual journal The Examiner, and was also the centre of a prominent Hampstead-based literary circle including Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt. Hunt was perhaps most famous for being imprisoned for libel against the Prince Regent, and also being the basis of Bleak House character Harold Skimpole. In the publisher's decorative original red cloth. Externally, mostly smart, with the odd small brown mark to boards. Slight bumping to the head and tail of the spine, and to the extremities. Minor splits to cloth to rear joint, and a small dent to centre of rear board edge. Minor browning patches to end papers. Internally, pp.224-225 and pp.240-241 starting, and hinges between pp.112-113 and pp.128-129 slightly tender but holding. Pages are bright and clean, with small dirt marks to edges of pp.109-113. Very Good . Ill.: Henry Corbould. Very Good .