A superbly bound first edition of "one of the crowning achievements of English autobiography and Victorian prose." 

Newman, John Henry. Apologia Pro Vita Sua: Being a Reply to a Pamphlet Entitled "What, then, Does Dr. Newman Mean?" London. Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green. 1864. First Edition. 430 + 127pp.

Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua emerged out of a squabble in print with Rev. Charles Kingsley. In a review of J. A. Froude's anti-Catholic History of England Kingsley included the remark: "Truth, for its own sake, had never been a virtue with the Roman clergy," and that "Father Newman informs us that it need not, and on the whole ought not to be; that cunning is the weapon which Heaven has given to the saints wherewith to withstand the brute male force of the wicked world which marries and is given in marriage."

With its cliché of Catholic cunning, its sarcastic swipe at clerical celibacy, as well as its personal slighting of Newman (who had left the Church of England for the Catholic Church in 1845), Kingsley's review prompted a heated correspondence between Kingsley, Newman, and the magazine's editor.

Newman published this correspondence (with concluding comments) in pamphlet form, Kingsley quickly responding with his own pamphlet entitled 'What, Then, Does Mr. Newman Mean?' (in March). The spat with Kingsley encouraged Newman to write something more substantial, "a survey of my whole course", no less, "which I should not be sorry for, tho' I dread the wear and tear of it" (he wrote in a letter).

The 'Apologia', the most personal thing he would ever write, was written at remarkable speed ("My fingers have been walking nearly 20 miles a day") and published in weekly pamphlet form by Longman, Roberts and Green. In keeping with the speed of composition, the eight pamphlets were issued in book-form (with minor corrections) the same year, also by Longman.

The work, which has been in print ever since, is now recognized as one of the great nineteenth century English autobiographies (along with those by, among others, Carlyle, Mill, Darwin, and Ruskin), as well as an addition to the tradition of English spiritual biography going back to Julian of Norwich and Bunyan (not to speak of a wider tradition reaching back to Augustine's 'Confessions'). (See Ian Ker, 'John Henry Newman: A Biography', Oxford: 1988)

In a very good full polished calf binding with raised bands, tooled compartments and boards somewhat in the Gothic style, and with morocco title onlay. Textblock edges dye red, and marbled endpapers. Textually exceptionally crisp and clean with only minor foxing to prelims. Small indent line across front board. Very handsome. 

An inferior example of this first Longman's edition just sold at auction for well in advance of our price.