First Edition Volume I (Teerink AA) + 1727 “Second Edition, Corrected” Volume II Complete with Portrait and Six Maps**
Offered here is a desirable mixed‑issue set of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, one of the most influential works of 18th‑century literature. This set pairs a First Edition, Teerink AA (1726) Volume I with Motte’s important 1727 “Second Edition, Corrected” Volume II — the earliest printing to incorporate Swift’s own textual revisions. An appealing, unsophisticated example for collectors of early English literature, Swiftiana, and landmark satirical works.
Bibliographic Details
Author: Jonathan Swift Title: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver. Publisher: Benjamin Motte, London Dates: 1726–1727 Format: Two octavo volumes Illustrations: Engraved portrait (Teerink’s Second State) + six full‑page maps or plans
Volume I (1726) — First Edition, Teerink AA - The earliest obtainable state. Issued mid‑November 1726. Engraved frontispiece portrait of Gulliver with Latin motto. Printed on laid paper with vertical chain lines, six plates (five maps) present and correctly placed. Separate pagination for each of the four parts. First‑edition readings include: • Part I, p. 17, l. 22: “Potion” • Part I, p. 35, l. 5: “Subsidues”
Volume II (1727) — “Second Edition, Corrected” - Title page dated 1727. Styled “Second Edition,” though actually Motte’s fourth printing (Hubbard 127–128.) Incorporates roughly 100 textual corrections, the first meaningful revision of Swift’s text. Represents Swift’s response to the “mangled” state of the 1726 printings
Condition ~Contemporary calf, both volumes rebacked with original boards retained. Leather corners and spine surfaces rubbed and chipped with expected age wear. Text shows foxing and browning, with light corner creasing to a few leaves. Early ink ownership to the blank preliminary leaf of Volume I. A solid, complete, and honest set with the appealing patina of 18th‑century bindings.
Why This Set Matters
This pairing captures two essential moments in the publication history of Gulliver’s Travels:
the true first edition (Teerink AA), released during the explosive initial demand of 1726
the 1727 corrected edition, the first printing to reflect Swift’s own revisions
For collectors, scholars, and admirers of Swift, this set offers both bibliographic significance and textual interest, representing the evolution of one of literature’s most enduring satires.