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MELVILLE, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, the Whale . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851.
MELVILLE, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, the Whale . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851. First American edition, first binding, following the English edition by a month and containing some thirty-five passages not present in the English edition. Very scarce in such fine condition. 8vo. 6-page publisher's advertisement at end. (Some pale spotting and foxing, as usual.) Original olive-gray cloth, publisher's device at center of each cover, orange endpapers, two flyleaves at front and three at end (slight wear extremes, minor rubbing); quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance : Horatio G[ates]. Ware, Wilmington VT (inscription on front free endpaper); Mrs. K. O’Hyde (signature on front free endpaper). BAL 13664; Grolier American 60; Johnson High Spots 57. “Horatio Gates Ware (1778-1856), grocer, of Boston, brother of Daniel L. son of Melatiah and Chloe M. Ware, was born in Foxboro, Mass., June 8, 1778. He married, ‘Saturday evening, Jan. 30, 1808,’ Keziah E. Goodnow. His early life was spent in Wilmington, Vt., his parents having moved there about 1783. Early in life he came to Boston, and, as a clerk, entered the employ of Gore & Harris, importers and wholesale dealers in West India goods. He occupied after them, in the same trade, the same building, during the remainder of his business life. He was a member of the common council of Boston in 1822, and for many years was a justice of the peace. He was made an honorary member of the Artillery Company May 27, 1819. Mr. Ware died in Boston, Feb. 8, 1856 after ‘a plain, happy, honorable private life.’ ‘Living or dying, he was debtor to no man.’ ”-- History of the Military Co. of Massachusetts , Vol. 2, by Oliver Ayer Roberts, Alfred Mudge and Sons, Printers, Boston, 1897, page 358.