Christabel / Kubla Khan, A Vision / The Pains of Sleep

Boston: Wells and Lilly, 1816. Original boards. Good +. The uncommon 1816 1st American edition. The first appearance in The States of these 3 important poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), a towering figure in late 18th/early 19th century British poetry and Romanticism. Still in the publisher's original green/gray boards, with handwritten title ("Christabel") to the spine. A presentable, fairly well-preserved copy of a diminutive, fragile book: Good to Good+ only but still solidly bound in its original string-ties. Minor loss at the spine ends (perhaps 3/4" all told), light, forgiveable staining to the boards. Staining to the front pastedown and the front free endpaper as well, discreet former owner stamp at the FP. A curious, wonderful handwritten poem as well singing the praises of this "wondrous first edition" along the front free endpaper. And finally, the half-title page neatly cut in half (or more), missing the lower 50%-60% of the page. 16mo, deckled edges, all signatures cut (making the text completely readable as is). Very scarce in this 1816 original printing out of Boston.