The First Novel for Children in the English Language.
[FIELDING, Sarah] By the author of David Simple. The Governess; Or, The Little Female Academy. Calculated for the Entertainment and Instruction of Young Ladies In Their Education. London: Printed for A. Millar and Sold by T. Cadell, in the Strand. 1768

8vo. Expertly and sympathetically bound in period white paper-backed blue paper-covered boards with neat onlaid and hand-printed paper lettering-label to spine, by the late Bernard Middleton,; pp.[x] + 146; with woodcut initials, chapter-heading, and decorations; a lovely copy of a very scarce and important work in the history of printing for children, delightfully presented in excellent condition; internally remarkably fresh, with just a little occasional browning, but no wear or tears; all early editions are extremely scarce in such bright condition.

The fifth edition, revised and corrected. A very pretty copy in an exquisite period-style binding by the late Bernard Middleton (1924-2019), the pre-eminent British restoration scholar-binder. He is known to have been one of the foremost book historians and book craftsmen of modern times.

The Governess (first published in 1749) is an influential work in the history of juvenile literature, boasting the distinction of being the first full-length novel for children written in the Engiish language. The British Library also describes it as “perhaps the first school story”.

It is set in a boarding school run by the appropriately named Mrs. Teachum. The core of the action takes place over ten days. Texts are read aloud to the students by Miss Jenny Peace, followed by a physical description of one of the students, and then their personal stories, as recited by each child. Mrs. Teachum then goes on to explain the significance of their experiences. The book’s ethos is based on the Lockean principle of the joy of learning, and to this end Sarah Fielding employs (very unusually for the period) fairy tales, as well as anecdotes of the mundane, to guide her pupils to lead contented lives.