He also asked us to superintend the printing of the book, which was being done by Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, who certainly bestowed the greatest care upon its production, but no sheet was sent to Press until we had signed it as "approved." The number printed was 10,000 copies, which were done at the old hand press, for at that time cylinder machine work was not considered good enough: but all that has long been changed--the finest and most elaborate work being now produced in this way.
_By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co._]
This edition will always be known as "Moxon's Tennyson," and will stand out as a landmark in the history of book illustration. In the work of the younger men engaged on it, beyond the extreme beauty of their designs, there was an evidence of earnestness to search after truth that went so deep into nature as to give the work a stamp of superiority: and this advance in art--for it was an advance--we endeavoured to follow and to promote to the best of our power.
The outline of the daughters head is too thick from this' in....ssion I cannot see her mouth but will wait for the next, the nostril is too large, and the mother's face is too full of little fine lines, take away the fuzzy lines indicating the upper lip--Clear the eye enlarging the upper lid by making this line of the eye less thick bad right There are some little scratches on his fingers holding the envelope thus which may be taken out, In the shading of the daughters hands on her side, there are some black veins which may also be eradicated--There are other little corrections if you compare these touched proofs, with others as the blocks are--I rush now I am very hard at work painting but will attend to the Coleridge & Byron designs at my first liaison--Hoping to hear from you soon believe me yours very truly
The volume was published by Mr. Moxon at _£_1 11_s._ 6_d._, but the public did not respond as had been expected, consequently a large stock was left on hand. These were sold to Messrs. Routledge and Co., and, with the stock, the entire set of the wood blocks went also. The price of the volume was reduced to _£_1 1_s._, and it sold out immediately. On this success Messrs. Routledge wished to produce a new edition, but Tennyson's terms were too high to leave any margin of profit to the publisher. This doubtless was the cause of the book being so long out of print; but the property having since passed into the hands of Messrs. Macmillan they have reproduced this very interesting book.