DICKENS (CHARLES) Sketches for Young Couples; With an Urgent Remonstrance to the Gentlemen of England (Being Bachelors or Widowers), on the Present Alarming Crisis, FIRST EDITION, Chapman and Hall, 1840DICKENS (CHARLES)Sketches for Young Couples; With an Urgent Remonstrance to the Gentlemen of England (Being Bachelors or Widowers), on the Present Alarming Crisis, FIRST EDITION, half-title, 6 etched plates by Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz"), without the advertisements, plates shaved with loss of imprint, early ink annotation (addition of names) in blank margin of two plates, calf gilt by Zaehnsdorf, red morocco spine label, gilt dentelles, g.e., small loss at extremities of hinges [Eckel, p.106; Gimbel B87], 8vo, Chapman and Hall, 1840Anonymously published series of amusing "moral essays [on] twelve samples of married couples, carefully selected from a large stock available". This copy has had names ("Mr & Mrs. Thomas", "Mr & Mrs. (?)Parey") added in ink to two of Phiz's plates, one depicting "The nice little couple", the other "The couple that coddle themselves", suggestive perhaps of how the book was approached by contemporary readers.Provenance: Bonhams, 19 October 2004, lot 186.