The Early Editions of Rob Roy

• Published in: Library 2023-12, Vol.24 (4), p.487-495
• Main Author: McMullin, B J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0024-2160; 1744-8581
• DOI: 10.1093/library/fpad036

Abstract Sir Walter Scott’s three-volume Rob Roy was the first of his novels to be issued in three ‘factitious editions’—i.e. of the one setting of type, in an edition number totalling 10,000, 2,500 were issued with ‘Second edition’ on the title pages, 2,500 with ‘Third edition’. Publication of the [first] edition was scheduled for 30 December 1817 (title page dated 1818), and the second and third followed on 7 January 1818 and 10 January 1818 respectively. The closeness of the dates is explained by the publishing stratagem, but there is also a difficulty in that Scott did not return proofs of the final three and a half gatherings of volume 3 until late on 26 December (a Friday). It is proposed that these gatherings were printed (in at least the first 5,000) by concurrent perfecting, thus meeting the deadline. In bibliographical terms the three editions are at best three issues of the one edition.