STERNE (LAURENCE) The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, 7 vol., FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR as usual on B1 of volumes 5, 7, and 9, York, Anne Ward, and R. and J. Dodsley-T. Beckett and P.A. Dehout, 1760-1767STERNE (LAURENCE)The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, 7 vol., FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR as usual on B1 of volumes 5, 7, and 9, volume 7 in first state with errata on verso of title, half-titles as called for, editorial correction in ink to one word on B2 of volume 3, marbled leaf in volume 3, engraved plate after William Hogarth in volume 4, without blank A1 in volume 5, some leaves lightly washed, small piece of leather adhered to p.71 of volume 3 obscuring a few letters, short tear repaired to half-title of volume 9, plate shaved touching artist names in lower margin, marbled endpapers, full polished calf gilt, by W. Pratt, spine in six compartments with red and green morocco lettering labels, g.e. [Rothschild 1970], 8vo, [York, Anne Ward], and R. and J. Dodsley[-T. Beckett and P.A. Dehout], 1760-1767A handsome copy of Sterne's celebrated "cock and bull story", the first two volumes of which had been printed in York in "a lean edition ... at my own expense, merely to feel the pulse of the world" as Sterne wrote to the London publisher Dodsley who, on seeing the immediate success and positive reception of the work, agreed "in early March 1760 to pay Sterne 250 for the copyright in order to publish a second edition, as well as 380 for the next instalment" (ODNB).Provenance: J. Mulso, signature on the title-page of volumes 3-5, 7 and 9, and E.C. Weymouth, ink stamp on verso of titles in volumes 1 and 2; Sotheby's, 15 December 2011, lot 33.