University of Virginia Library

1790 -1825

Charlotte: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson.London, 1790.
*The First Edition. The date 1790 is usually given, but has not been confirmed.

Charlotte: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson, of the New Theatre, Philadelphia, author of "Victoria," "The Inquisitor," "Fille de Chambre," etc. Two volumes bound as one. 16mo, pp. viii.—9-87, 83. Philadelphia. Printed by D. Humphreys for Mr. Carey, 1794.
*The First American Edition, of which the present edition, as to text, is a careful reprint. In the same year Mr. Carey issued an American edition of "The Inquisitor."

— Two volumes in one. 16mo, pp. vi.—7-169. Second Philadelphia edition. Philadelphia. Mathew Carey, October 9, 1794.
*The date of this edition, October 9, 1794, shows that it was called for soon after the publication of the first, which had probably come out in April, some advertisements by Mr. Carey in the end pages of that edition being dated April 17, 1794.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson, late of the New Theater, etc. Two volumes in one. 12mo, calf, pp. 202 (the final pages missing). Third American edition. Philadelphia. Mathew Carey, 1797.
*It is to be noted that in this, the third American edition, the title had been changed from "Charlotte" to "Charlotte Temple," and that in 1797 Mrs. Rowson had ceased to be connected with the New Theater of Philadelphia.

The History of Charlotte Temple. Founded on Fact. By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. 18mo, pp. 142. Hartford, Conn., 1801.
*Apparently an unauthorized edition, since the title is changed in a way not afterward followed except in a few isolated instances.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. Fifth American edition. Two volumes in one. 16mo, pp. 205. Harrisburg, Pa. M. Carey, 1802.

— Alexandria [Va.?], 1802.

— Two volumes in one, 12mo, pp. 168. New York, 1803.

The History of Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. 12mo. Catskill. Printed by N. Eliot for H. Steel. Hudson, 1808.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. 24mO, calf, pp. 137. Portrait. Philadelphia. M. Carey, 1809.

The History of Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. 24mo, pp. 143. Increase Cooke & Co., 1811.
*Has frontispiece showing a woman leaning against a tombstone.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 18mo, pp. 175. Windsor, Vt. Merrifield, 1812.

— Two volumes in one. Wooden boards. 24mo, pp. 180. Eighth American edition. Brattleborough, Vt. William Fessenden, 1813.

The History of Charlotte Temple: Founded on Fact.

By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. 16mo. New York, 1814.

The History of Charlotte Temple: Founded on Fact. By Mrs. Rowson. Two volumes in one. Half roan, 16mo, pp. 168. New York. Samuel A. Burtus, 1814.
*Possibly this edition and the preceding are the same. The inference, however, does not necessarily follow. In one or two other instances at least "Charlotte Temple" was issued without a publisher's name on the title-page.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 16mo, half roan. New York.S. A. Burtus, 1814.
*It will be observed here that Mr. Burtus issued two editions of the book in one year-each having a different title.

— 24mo, boards, pp.io6. Vignette portrait. New York. Evert Duyckinck, 1814. *From the above items it appears that in 1814 at least three publishers in New York were issuing the book. The type of the Duyckinck edition is very small and the paper flimsy.

— 18mo, pp. 168. Windsor, Vt. Merrifield, 1815.

— 12mo, pp. 177. Windsor, Vt. P. Merrifield, 1815.

— 24mo, boards, pp. 175. Windsor. Preston Merrifield, 1815.
*Mr. Merrifield appears to have issued three editions in 1815, as indicated by the variations in the size and number of the pages, and in the forms in which his name is given. Of all the early editions, his are now the most common.

— Two volumes in one. 16mo, pp. 132, boards. Concord, N. H. Isaac and Walter B. Hill, 1815.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth, By Mrs. Rowson. 18mo. Brookfield, Mass., 1816.

— 16mo. New Haven, 1818.

— 16mo, boards.
*Apparently a very early edition, of which a copy is in the Astor Library, but it has no title-page.

— 12mo. Philadelphia. [n. d.]
*Apparently early.

— 24mo, pp. 138.
*An early edition. A copy is in the Society Library, with no title-page. Has a woodcut frontispiece showing Charlotte and Montraville returning to the school at night.

— 12mo, pp. 152. R. D. Rider. Wallop, Hants, England, 1821.

— 18mo. Philadelphia. [n. d.]
*Apparently early.

1825 -1850

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 24mo, boards, pp. 176. New York.A. Spooner, printer, 1826.

— 18mo, boards, pp. 144. Philadelphia. John Grigg, 1826.

— 18mo, half calf, pp. 138. New York.R. Hobbs, 1827.
*Has the frontispiece showing the arrival at Portsmouth and an engraved title, vignetted. In type, paper, and binding the best of all the early editions here described.

— 16mo. Hartford, Conn., 1827.

Charlotte's Daughter; or, The Three Orphans. A sequel to "Charlotte Temple." Prefaced by a memoir

of the author. [By Samuel L. Knapp.] 12mo, boards, pp. 184. Boston. Richardson & Lord, 1828.
*The first edition. Often reprinted, and still to be had in cheap paper editions, with the memoir omitted and the title changed to "Lucy Temple."

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 18mo, PP. 138. New York. George C. Sickles, 1829.
*Has a frontispiece showing the arrival at Portsmouth, reproduced elsewhere in this edition, and a decorative title-page with vignette.

— 18mo, boards, pp. 138. New York. George C. Sickles, 1830.
*A reissue of the preceding.

— 24mo, pp. 138. New York. John Lomax, 1830.

— 18mo, boards, pp. 138. New York. John Lomax, 1831. *Has a frontispiece showing Montraville and Julia Franklin entering a church to be married, the picture being repeated oil the cover.

— 18mo, pp. 138. New York. John Lomax, 1832.

— Two volumes in one. 18mo, pp. 168. Printed by Lazarus Beach for J. Harrison, S. Stephens, C. Flanagan, N. Judah, D. Smith, S. J. Langdon. New York. [n. d.]

— 24mo, half roan, boards, pp. 138. Hartford, Ct. Andrus & Judd, 1833.

— [Text in French]. Paris. [About 1835]

Die Getauschte. Ein Gemalde aus dem Wirklichen Leben nach dern Englishen (Charlotte Temple) Der Mrs. Rowson. Von Dr. J. G. Flugel. Octavo. Leipzig, 1835.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 8vo. Leipzig, 1835.

— 24mo, pp. 148. New York. Nafis & Cornish. [n. d.]

— St. Louis, Mo. Nafis, Cornish & Co. [n. d.]

— 18mo. Cornish, L. & Co. [n. d.]

— Two volumes in one. 16mo. New York. H. M. Griffith. [n.d.]

— Two volumes in one. 12mo. New York.
Printed by John Swain for H. M. Griffith. [n. d.]
*Possibly the same edition as the preceding. A copy, bound by William Matthews in calf gilt, was sold with the library of Theodore Irwin, in 1897.

— 8vo. New York. John Swain. [n. d.]

— 12mo, pp. 186. New York. John Swain. [n. d.]
*From being a printer, Mr. Swain appears to have become a publisher on his own account.

— 18mo, boards, pp. 138. Hartford. Judd, Loomis & Co., 1837.

— 18mo, pp. 140. New York. N. C. Nafis, 1840.
* Has a frontispiece showing Charlotte's grave in Trinity Churchyard, the stone standing upright, and inscribed " C. T.," with a willow tree drooping over it, and a vignette on the title-page.

— Cincinnati. [n. d.]

— 24mo, London. [n. d.]

— 18mo, pp. 140, frontispiece. Philadelphia. John B. Perry, 1840 (?).

— 18mo, pp. 138. Ithaca, N. Y. Mack, Andrus & Woodruff, 1841.

— 24mo, cloth, pp. 125. Illustrated. New York. R. Hobbs, 1842.
*Has two illustrations on steel-"The Interview of

Charlotte with Montraville" and "Charlotte in the Garden." A frontispiece has apparently been torn out. "Charlotte in the Garden" was intended to illustrate the discovery by Mrs. Beauchamp of Charlotte at her Chatham Square home while she was singing the lines beginning We are shown a stone, or marble, pavement and balustrade, a pedestal surmounted by an urn, a distant prospect of mountains, and another pedestal and urn at the foot of a stairway, Charlotte, with bowed head, being seated amid these garden splendors, which at that period probably did not exist anywhere in America—least of all in Chatham Square.

— 8vo, pp. 60. Boston. Skinner & Blanchard, 1845.

— 24mo, paper, pp. 139, frontispiece. Cincinnati. U. P. James. [n. d.]

— 18mo, pp. 138. Ithaca, N. Y. Mack, Andrus & Co., 1846.

— 12mo. London, 1849.

1850 -1875

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Susanna Rowson. 18mo, boards, pp. 140. New York. Richard Marsh, 1851.
*Has the same frontispiece and vignette as the Nafis edition of 1840.

— 18mo, boards, pp. 140. Philadelphia. William A. Leary & Co., 1851.
*From the same plates as the preceding.

— 24mo, pp. 165. cloth. New York. Leavitt & Allen, 1853.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Susanna Rowson. 24mo, boards, pp. 165. Portrait. Philadelphia. Fisher & Bros., 1853.
*Besides the frontispiece portrait, the cover has another portrait, showing a different face and costume, and printed in colors.

— 24mo, boards, pp. 165. Portrait. Baltimore. Fisher & Denison, 1853.

— 24mo, boards, pp. 165. Portrait. New York. Fisher, 1853.

— 24mo, boards, pp. 165. Portrait. Boston. Fisher, 1853.
*This and the three preceding editions appear to have been printed from the same plates, or from duplicate sets, as the custom apparently then was with publishers, and as it had been twenty-five years earlier.

— 18mo. New York. 1853.

Love and Romance: Charlotte and Lucy Temple. By Susannah Rowson. Two volumes in one. 12mo, pp. 129. Philadelphia. Leary and Getz, 1854

— 18mo, pp. 133. Ithaca, N. Y. Andrus, Gauntlett & Co., 1855.

18mo. New York. [n. d.]

— 24mo, pp. 165. New York. Leavitt & Allen. [About 1860.]

— 24mo, cloth, pp. 165. New York. Leavitt & Allen Bros. [n. d.]

— 18mo. New York. 1864.

Charlotte Temple: The Lamentable History of the Beautiful and Accomplished, with an account of her elopement with Lieutenant Montroville [sic], and her misfortunes and painful sufferings are here pathetically depicted. 8vo, paper, with an appendix, pp. 59. Illustrated. Philadelphia. Barclay & Co., 1865.
*Already described on pages xxxiv and xxxv.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 1874.
*Mentioned by Caroline H. Dall as having a large sale, but "wretchedly printed."

Love and Romance: Charlotte and Lucy Temple. By Susanna Rowson. 16mo, cloth. Two volumes in one. pp. 119, 129. Philadelphia. Lippincott, 1874.
*Though printed from small type, this is the best edition of those issued since 1855. It contains the Preface signed S. R., but the signature and the title, "Love and Romance," were never used by the author.

— Two volumes in one. 12mo, cloth, pp. 119, 129. New York. Hurst. [n. d.]
Printed from the same text plates as the preceding, but on larger paper, with a two-line border.

Charlotte and Lucy Temple. By Susannah Rowson. 24mo, vi., 5-254, frontispiece and vignette. London. [About 1875.]

1875 -1905

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Susan nah Rawson [sic]. 12mo, pp. 190. New York. Lupton, 1876 (?).

— 16mo, paper, pp. 98. New York. Munro. [n. d.]
*Printed from small type, with a portrait on the cover.

— 18mo, boards. New York. Fisher, 1880.

Charlotte and Lucy Temple. By Mrs. Rowson. 16mo. Philadelphia. Lippincott, 1881.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. Quarto. New York.Ogilvie, 1881.

— 8vo, paper. Philadelphia. Barclay, 1883.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. [German text.] 8vo, paper. Philadelphia. Barclay, 1883.

— 16mo, paper. New York. Lovell, 1884.

— Quarto, paper. New York. Munro, 1884.

— 12mo, paper. New York. Munro, 1884.

— 12mo, paper, pp. 119. New York. Munro, 1894.

— Paper. New York. Optimus, 1894.

— 12mo, pp. 119. New York. Munro. [n. d.]

— 12mo, paper, pp. 135. New York. Hurst [n.d.]

Charlotte and Lucy Temple. By Susannah Rowson. Two volumes in one. 12mo, paper, pp. 119. New York. Ogilvie. [n. d.]

— 24mo, cloth, pp. vi., 5-254, frontispiece and vignette. London. Milner & Co. [n. d.]
*The binding of the copy examined is recent, but the text plates and illustration seem to have been made about thirty years ago.

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 12mo, paper, pp. 190. Chicago. Conkey. [n. d.]

— 12mo, paper, pp. 135. New York. Hurst, 1892.

— 18mo, cloth. New York. Optimus. [n. d.]

— 12mo, cloth. New York. Federal Book Co. [n. d.]

— 24mo, cloth, pp. 259, frontispiece. Philadelphia. Altemus. [n. d.]

— 24mo, half vellum, pp. 259, frontispiece. Philadelphia. Altemus. [n.d.]
* Same plates as preceding, the text extremely corrupt.

— 12mo, paper, pp. 119. New York. Ogilvie. [n. d.]

Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth. By Mrs. Rowson. 18mo, paper. New York. Federal Book Co.[n. d.]
*Of the cheap paper editions here named as published during the period 1875-1905, all but two seem now to be out of print. The others, in well-worn condition, may from time to time be picked tip in the little shops of tenement districts.

— 12mo, cloth. Two volumes in one. With an Historical and Biographical Introduction, Bibliography, and Foot-Notes by Francis W. Halsey. Seventeen illustrations, pp. cix., 137-150. New York and London. Funk & Wagnalls Co., 1905.
*Reprinted from the First American Edition of 1794. over 1200, errors corrected, and the author's Preface restored.

From these one hundred and four editions, not to name others known to have been printed, it seems safe to conclude that few works of fiction have ever appeared in so many and such diverse forms, or in forms so perishable. "Charlotte Temple," in this sense, rises almost to a place with "The Vicar of Wakefield" or "Robinson Crusoe."

While the popularity of the book down to the present day cannot be questioned, and gives no evidence of declining, it is

a popularity which has not brought its name into the lists, either of best selling books or of books most called for in libraries. During the period covered by these researches, many well-read men and women were asked if they had ever read "Charlotte Temple." Nearly all knew about the tombstone in Trinity churchyard, and in general they had some notion of Charlotte's story, but that was all. On a Sixth Avenue surface car, how ever, and on a railway train bound for Chicago, during the same period were observed two young women reading paper editions with close attention.

Again and again have small dealers, with stalls in front areas and on side-walks, assured me that "Charlotte Temple" was one of their most active books. "Ten sales a week," said a man in Harlem. "My order is always for a hundred copies," said another in lower Sixth Avenue. "I am always selling that book," said a third on the East Side,

"and its a shame there has never been decent edition of it."

Obviously the readers who have been patronizing these small dealers are not responsible for those questions-and-answers which regularly and at frequent intervals for many years have appeared in the newspapers and periodicals in regard to "Charlotte Temple." These questions have rather come from the ill-informed among people really bookish, to whom, at least in the present generation, has been denied all knowledge of a book which, if it has not shared in the greatest literary fame, has at least participated in the greatest literary notoriety, of the past one hundred and fifteen years.