DICKENS, Charles (1812?1870). The Battle of Life. A Love Story. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1846. Foolscap 8vo. Engraved frontispiece and vignette title by John Thompson after Daniel Maclise, numerous wood engravings in text after Maclise, Leech, Stanfield, and Doyle. Original publisher?s red horizontally ribbed cloth, blocked in blind and gilt, gilt?stamped spine, all edges gilt (few tiny scuffs to lower board with a spot of marring, corners lightly rubbed, else fine); cloth chemise; full niger gilt slipcase. FIRST EDITION of Dickens? fourth Christmas book. SECOND ISSUE of the vignette title (Todd C2, Eckel 2), with ?A Love Story? etched in viny letters on a scroll that is part of the plate not carried by a cupid, above the three?line publisher?s imprint but with the letter ?D? in ?BRADBURY? broken. This second issue vignette was long thought to be the first issue until another issue was discovered. Only 3 copies are known to exist of the first issue and the second issue ?is becoming rather scarce and is rapidly rising in value? (Eckel). A SUPERB COPY. Eckel, pp. 127?130; Sadlier 681; Smith II:8.