# Is "Devereux: A Tale" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Devereux: A Tale by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (Henry Colburn, 1829) is identified by: First edition (Sadleir 398), three volumes, collating viii,299; [2],310,[2] advertisement leaf; [2],344, with an advertisement leaf and an errata slip present in each volume as specified by Sadleir.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition (Sadleir 398), three volumes, collating viii,299; [2],310,[2] advertisement leaf; [2],344, with an advertisement leaf and an errata slip present in each volume as specified by Sadleir
- No half-titles were issued
- Recorded contemporary bindings include green half calf with gilt-ruled spines, double morocco labels, and marbled sides
- The novel was published anonymously, identified on the title page only as 'by the Author of Pelham,' and carries a dedicatory epistle to Bulwer-Lytton's friend John Auldjo, written while Auldjo was living in Naples
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Colburn
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| Publisher | Henry Colburn |
| Year | 1829 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition (Sadleir 398), three volumes, collating viii,299; [2],310,[2] advertisement leaf; [2],344, with an advertisement leaf and an… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition (Sadleir 398), three volumes, collating viii,299; [2],310,[2] advertisement leaf; [2],344, with an advertisement leaf and an errata slip present in each volume as specified by Sadleir. No half-titles were issued. Recorded contemporary bindings include green half calf with gilt-ruled spines, double morocco labels, and marbled sides. The novel was published anonymously, identified on the title page only as 'by the Author of Pelham,' and carries a dedicatory epistle to Bulwer-Lytton's friend John Auldjo, written while Auldjo was living in Naples.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Devereux: A Tale* by Edward Bulwer-Lytton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/devereux-a-tale
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.