The Ring and the Book (Volumes I to IV) (Four volumes)

Complete in four volumes.  First editions, first issues published 1868-69.  [iv], 245, [1], [ads 1], [1 blank]; [iv], 251, [1]; [iv], 249, [1]; [iv], 235, [1] pp.  Volumes uniformly bound in publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine, bevelled edges, decorated with blind toolwork.  Decorated endpapers.  Unevenly but heavily browned half title pages. Volumes 1 and 3 in variant B binding with volume numbers in Roman numerals; volumes 2 and 4 in variant A binding with arabic numerals (see Carter, John; Binding Variants in English Publishing 1820-1900, p. 99).   12mos.  Cloth rubbed and rounded at corners and spine ends of each volumes, a little marked and slightly sunned over spines.  Text block edges toned.  Previous owner’s inscription, dated 1869, on each half title page.  Gutters ahead of each half title page strained else nice and tight.  Hint of toning in pages margins else internally neat and clean.

First editions of Robert Browning dramatic verse novel of 21,000 lines, telling of a murder trial in Rome at the end of 17th century in which the nobleman Guido Franceschine sentences to death for the murder of his young wife and her suspected lover.