THE DIARY OF A JUDGE by Henry R. Addison, F. S. A. Brussels: Belgian Printing and Publishing Society, Hauman and Comp., 1838. Small octavo, pp. [1-2] 1-2 [3] 4-5 [6-9] 10-330 [331] 332, flyleaves at front and rear, quarter brown calf and marbled boards, spine panel lettered and ruled in gold, marbled endpapers. First edition. Collects five novelettes and short stories: "Salembier" -- "The Brand" -- "Felo De Se" -- "The Phrenologist" -- "The Roué" -- "The Affianced." "A collection of six tales purportedly taken from the diary of judge in France during the time of Napoleon. The stories are all sensationalistic crime stories, many with gruesome details such as the executioner counting severed heads at the foot of the guillotine in 'Salembier' and the debauched count in 'The Roue' shooting himself in the head at the end of his trial, splattering a priest's robe with brain matter and blood. The stories feature doomed couples that commit murder/suicide and treacherous noblemen who lead dual lives as vicious leaders of notorious bandit gangs. The most ingenious story is 'Felo De Se' which examines the plight of a soap-boiler who suffers muscular convulsions that distort his facial features to such an extent that he ends up being sentenced to death for having murdered himself. Highly entertaining stories, these six tales were reprinted with ten additional stories in the expanded edition of DIARY, retitled DIARY OF A JUDGE BEING TRIALS OF LIFE COMPILED FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A DECEASED JUDGE, issued by Ward Lock in 1860" (Boyd White). Owner's bookplate affixed to the front paste-down. Binding worn, a sound, internally fine copy. (#178234).
Price: $850.00
No statement of printing.