Beckford, William

Recollections of an Excursion to the Monasteries of Alcobaça and Batalha

> click here to see the full size image.

London [by Samuel Bentley for] Richard Bentley 1835 First Edition By the Author of "Vathek". Engraved frontispiece portrait of Beckford by Dean after Reynolds. 8vo. [220 x 135 x 20 mm]. [v], viii-xi, [i], 228 pp. Bound in contemporary half blue calf, marbled paper sides, the spine divided into five panels with thick bands tooled in gilt, lettered in the second panel on a red goatskin label, plain endleaves, marbled edges. (The corners renewed, joints and headcaps a little worn). Bound without the half-title. A little foxing to the frontispiece and last few leaves, but a good copy. William Beckford first travelled to Portugal in 1787, where most of his time was spent in Lisbon and Sintra and environs. On his second visit in 1793 he took up residence in a villa along the coast from Lisbon, with a prospect of the Tagus estuary, and it was from here that he planned his excursion to the monasteries of Alcobaça and Batalha in 1794. Although he found Alcobaça gloomy and "Saxon", Batalha intrigued and enchanted him. It was also said to have had an important impact on various aspects of the design of Fonthill Abbey. Beckford recorded his impressions in a journal and they were eventually published in 1835. Early ink signature and booklabel of George Campbell Giffard.

• GBP 350.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: ebc2335

• bookseller: George Bayntun (GREAT BRITAIN)