English and American Literature to 1800

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1. ARWAKER, EDMUND. The Vision: A Pindaric Ode: Occasion'd by the Death of ... King Charles II. London: By J. Playford, for Henry Playford, 1685. Folio. [2], 6 p. Title within mourning rules. Modern leatherette. $550.00

Second edition, first printed earlier the same year. Wing A3914.

BOSWELL'S ACCOUNT OF CORSICA

2. BOSWELL, JAMES. An Account of Corsica, the Journal of a Tour to that Island, and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli. Glasgow: Robert and Andrew Foulis for Edward and Charles Dilly, London, 1768. xxi, [3], 382 p. plus final blank 2A8. Leaves E2 and Z3 cancellanda, as usual. Large folding map by Thomas Phinn (3" tear). Contemporary calf, spine richly gilt in compartments. Text block lightly dampstained, but other than some darkening on endpapers, not the least offensive, and an attractive copy. Modern bookplate. $1000.00

First edition of Boswell's highly popular account of his tour to Corsica and his association with General Paoli. Gaskell, Foulis, 473; Pottle 24; Rothschild 442; ESTC T26157.

HUDIBRAS: FIRST EDITIONS OF ALL THREE PARTS

3. BUTLER, SAMUEL. Hudibras. The First Part. London: By J. G. for Richard Marriot, 1663. [4], 268 p. [with:] Hudibras. The Second Part. London: By T. R. for John Martyn, and James Allestry, 1664. [2], 216 p., lacking imprimatur leaf. [With:] Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. London: For Simon Miller, 1678. [2], 285, [2] p. incl. errata leaf. 3 vols. Washed and rebound in uniform simple full brown levant, edges gilt, by Zaehnsdorf for A. C. McClurg. Some residual soiling, vol. 2 with closed tear in title and front hinge cracking slightly and cropped a bit closely cutting into a few running heads and shoulder notes. $2200.00

First authorized editions of vols. 1 and 2, first edition of vol. 3, being Thorson's editions A, N, and R. The date in the imprimatur leaf of v. 1 reads "Novemb. 11. 1662." Wing B6300, B6309, and B6313.

HUDIBRAS: 1684

4. BUTLER, SAMUEL. Hudibras . . . Written in the Time of the Late Wars. London: By T. N. for Henry Herringman, and are to be sold by T. Basset, 1684. [2], 221, [3], 223-412, [2], 254 p. Later straight-grain crimson morocco, all edges gilt, by Lloyd. Modern bookplate of Herbert Standen. Very good, clean. $500.00

A reissue of all three parts, with cancel titles. Wing B6319.

HUDIBRAS: THE FIRST TWO PARTS

5. [BUTLER, SAMUEL]. Hudibras. The First Part. London: By J. G. for Richard Marriot, 1663. 12mo. [4], 128 p. [Bound with:] Hudibras. The Second Part. London: By T. R. for John Martyn and James Allestry, 1664. 8vo. [4], 125 p., lacking preliminary and terminal blanks. Straight-grain black morocco, richly gilt, all edges gilt, by Lloyd, Wallis & Lloyd. Some scuffing along hinges, occasional cropping of a letter or two in a running head or catchword, else very good. $900.00

Fifth authorized edition (Thorson's edition E) of the first part, bound with the second authorized edition (Thorson's edition O) of the second part. Wing B6302A, B6310.

CARTWRIGHT'S PLAYS AND POEMS

6. CARTWRIGHT, WILLIAM. Comedies, Tragi-Comedies, with other Poems. London: For Humphrey Moseley, 1651. 8vo. Engraved port. by P. Lombart. 5 section titles, with the duplicate leaves U1-3 as usual, blank f4 present, b2 folded and untrimmed to preserve shoulder notes. Modern calf, very skillfully executed in seventeenth-century style. Title and dedication leaf and a few running heads slightly cropped by the binder's knife, and one note to the binder cropped. A very nice, complete copy of a bibliographically confusing book. The Arthur Spingarn copy, rebound, with his bookplate and collation notes laid in. $2400.00

First edition of Cartwright's works, containing both plays and poems. The preliminaries, which occupy over a hundred pages and contain more than fifty commendatory and elegiac poems, are bibliographically confusing due to cancelled and inserted leaves that vary between copies (see Greg for an analysis). This copy collates the same as the Hayward copy except it contains an additional leaf of commendatory verse inserted following a7. The frontispiece portrait of Cartwright in his library is interesting in that it depicts the old custom of placing books on the shelves fore-edge outward. Greg 3:1027; Hayward 104; Wing C-709.

CHATTERTON'S ROWLEY IMPOSTURE

7. [CHATTERTON, THOMAS]. Poems, Supposed to have been Written at Bristol, by Thomas Rowley, and others, in the Fifteenth Century.... London: For T. Payne and Son, 1777. xxvii, [1], 307 p. With leaf c4 a cancel. Plate of purported Rowley manuscript facsimile. Contemporary calf, rebacked in morocco. Tiny hole in blank margin of G3, corners very worn with board exposed. Armorial bookplate of Richard Edgcumbe. $750.00

First edition of Chatterton's Rowley imposture, edited by Thomas Tyrwhitt. Second state, with leaf c4 a cancel, omitting the last six words indicating that the notes were written by Chatterton. Rothschild 589; Hayward 188; Tinker 622.

CHAUCER'S WORKES, 1602

8. CHAUCER, GEOFFREY. The Workes of our Ancient and Learned English Poet, Geffrey Chaucer, Newly Printed. London: By Adam Islip, 1602. Folio (315 x 205 mm.). [23], 179, 178-350, 353-376, [13] leaves. Title surrounded by woodcut border. Lacking initial blank [a]1, as always, and errata leaf 3U8. Copperplate portrait of Chaucer surrounded by the arms of his progeny by John Speed. Woodcuts of Chaucer's arms and of the knight, woodcut initials. Black letter. Late nineteenth-century dark brown morocco, blind panel on covers, edges gilt. Small worm track in the margin of the first several gatherings, two very minor repaired tears, one blank corner torn away. A very clean, attractive copy. 1882 gift inscription on front endpaper. $9000.00

Edited by Thomas Speght, revised with the aid of Francis Thynne. According to Pforzheimer, this edition is "the earliest in which thorough punctuation was attempted, and in many other ways it is a distinct improvement upon Speght's first edition [of 1598]." Virtually every early copy of Chaucer that becomes available has been repaired, cleaned, rebound, &c., and the portrait is usually missing. This is quite a lovely copy, wanting only the errata leaf at the end. STC 5080; Pforzheimer 178; Grolier, Langland to Wither, 44.

IDOL OF THE CLOWNES

9. [CLEVELAND, JOHN]. The Idol of the Clownes, or Insurrection of Wat the Tyler, with his Priests Baal and Straw.... London: Printed in the year, 1654. Small 8vo. [12], 154 p. Full polished calf, spine gilt, edges gilt, by Riviere. Without final blank L4. Front cover cleanly detached, a few very tiny repairs. $1200.00

Second edition, published the same year as the first edition with a slightly altered subtitle. The Rebellion of 1381. Grolier, Wither to Prior, 176; Wing C-4673.

DODSLEY'S POETICAL MISCELLANY

10. A COLLECTION OF POEMS. In Six Volumes. London: For R. and J. Dodsley, 1763. 6 vols. 2 engraved plates, engraved title vignettes and headpieces. Half titles present. Contemporary mottled calf, spines gilt, red and black spine labels. Bindings moderately rubbed at extremities, a few hinges cracking but secure. A very attractive set. With the armorial bookplates of James Perrot and Admiral Duff, the latter dated 1858. $500.00

Edited by Robert Dodsley. A later edition of Dodsley's highly influential poetical miscellany, containing the works of the leading poets of the day. See M. Suarez, Dodsley's 'Collection of Poems,'" PBSA 88 (1994).

ELIZABETHTOWN IMPRINT

11. A COLLECTION OF POEMS on Religious and Moral Subjects. Extracted from the Most Celebrated Authors. Elizabeth Town: Printed by Shepard Kollock, for Cornelius Davis, New York, 1797. [4], [3]-124 p. Contemporary mottled sheep. Short crack at bottom of upper hinge, occasional minor stains, but a very good copy. $350.00

Includes Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a County Church-Yard, Edward Young's The Last Day, and other poems. Some copies contain a separate title page, A1, for Gray's Elegy, but it is not in this copy or in most other copies. Felcone, Printing in New Jersey, 870; Evans 31953; ESTC W30391.

IN A CONTEMPORARY STENCILLED BINDING

12. COLLINS, WILLIAM. The Poetical Works of Mr. William Collins. With Memoirs of the Author; and Observations on his Genius and Writings. By J. Langhorne. London: For T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, 1765. [4], 184, [2] p. With final blank M6. Contemporary calf, spine gilt in compartments, covers sprinkled with a stencil in an interlacing border pattern within a gilt fillet, edges sprinkled blue-green, marbled endpapers. Extremities worn, crown of spine chipped away. A respectable copy, and fine internally. Armorial bookplate of Richd. Cox. $1000.00

First collected edition of Collins's poetical works, with a biographical notice and extensive commentary by his friend John Langhorne. In an unusual contemporary binding, probably a publisher's binding. Foxon p. 132.

COWLEY'S POEMS

13. COWLEY, ABRAHAM. Poems: viz. I. Miscellanies. II. The Mistress, or, Love Verses. III. Pindarique Odes. And IV. Davideis, or, a Sacred Poem of the Troubles of David. London: For Humphrey Moseley, 1656. Fol. [22], 41, [1], 80, [4], 70 [i.e., 68], 154, 23 p. Contemporary paneled calf, edges gilt; very skillfully rebacked to style, later endpapers. Occasional minor spots and repaired marginal tears, 3L2 soiled and with a paper defect costing several letters. A lovely copy. Early signature of Edmund Henry Marshall on title; "Ex Libris George Bernard Shaw" on front endpaper. $2500.00

First collected edition of Cowley's verse. "This folio collection passed through eight editions in a generation and represents the canon of Cowley's works upon which his contemporary fame was based. It was prepared for the press while the author was in prison...." Pforzheimer 233; Perkin A19; Hayward 89; Grolier, Wither to Prior, 224; Wing C-6682.

THE BEAUFORT-LEO-NEWTON COPY

14. DAVENANT, SIR WILLIAM. The Works of Sr. William Davenant Kt. Consisting of those which were formerly Printed, and those which he Design'd for the Press: Now Published out of the Authors Originall Copies. London: By T. N. for Henry Herringman, 1673. Folio. [8], 402, [4], 486, 111 p. Portrait by Faithorne. Turn-of-the-century red levant morocco, gilt arabesque centerpiece on covers, a.e.g., by Riviere. Very skillfully rebacked, though the new leather at the joints and on the cords has uniformly faded. An unusually fine, fresh, wide-margined copy, with a fine impression of the portrait. Leather-tipped fleece-lined slipcase (edges rubbed). The Duke of Beaufort-E. F. Leo-A. E. Newton copy, with their bookplates. $2200.00

First collected edition, containing considerable previously unpublished material. The tragi-comedy "The Law Against Lovers," first printed in this edition, is a mixture of the plots of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Measure for Measure." There is prefatory matter by Hobbes, Waller, and Cowley. Wing D-320.

AMERICAN POETRY, 1772

15. EVANS, NATHANIEL. Poems on Several Occasions, with some other Compositions. Philadelphia: John Dunlap, 1772. xxviii, 160, [3]-24 p. Contemporary calf, very skillfully rebacked in period style. The usual foxing, else the nicest copy of this book we have seen. Late 19th century book label of A. G. Odenbaugh. $750.00

First and only contemporary edition of the works of this early American poet who died at the age of 25. A native of Philadelphia and a resident of Haddonfield, New Jersey, Evans was an S.P.G. missionary for Gloucester County and a friend and correspondent of Elizabeth Graeme (later, Ferguson). Copies of the book often lack the list of subscribers, the ode on Evans' death by Elizabeth Graeme, and the 24-page discourse at the end, all of which are present in this copy. The errata slip, as always, is not present. Stoddard and Whitesell 221; Evans 12386; Felcone, New Jersey Books, 85; ESTC W28917.

BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED

16. GAY, JOHN. Fables by John Gay, with a Life of the Author, and Embellished with a Plate to each Fable. London: By Darton & Harvey, for E. & C. Rivington [et al], 1793. xvi, 256 p. Plates. Full calf, richly gilt, all edges gilt, by Baynton. Hinges split but held by cords, else a lovely copy. Cloth slipcase. $250.00

Richly illustrated edition, with an engraving for each fable.

HEYRICK'S POEMS: 1691

17. HEYRICK, THOMAS. Miscellany Poems. Cambridge: By John Hayes, for the author, 1691. 4to. [2], xxii, 112, [4], 67 p. Woodcut alma mater device on title. Late nineteenth-century half morocco (hinges lightly scuffed). Some foxing and light browning, chiefly on the first and last few pages and largely confined to the margins; small piece torn from upper corner of title page, short marginal tear on K1. Signature of Rd Habgood 1774 on title page. $3000.00

First edition of a very scarce book by a seventeenth-century poet-angler. One of the commendatory verses at the beginning of the work is addressed by Theophilus Judd of St. John's College "To my ingenious friend and brother angler," and one of the poems in the Miscellany is "A Pindarique Ode in Praise of Angling." The work ends with a long Pindaric poem, "The Submarine Voyage," with its own title page. In it, Heyrick "not only praises angling but abuses those who do not angle, in vehement fashion." Hayward 134; Westwood and Satchell p. 118; Wing H-1753.

18TH-CENTURY AMERICAN CHILDREN'S BOOK

18. (JUVENILE). [Day, Thomas]. The History of Sandford and Merton. A Work Intended for the Use of Children. Whitehall: Printed for William Young, Philadelphia, 1798. 12mo. 3 vols. in 1. 8, [1], 14-470, [3], 472-697, [1] p. Contemporary sheep (front hinge split, rear beginning to crack). Gathering G foxed, scattered foxing elsewhere, small piece torn from blank margin of 2P5, just touching a letter or two. Contemporary signature of John Hough. 900.00

"Seventh edition." An important work in the development of the moral tale, reprinted frequently. This edition is quite scarce and is not recorded in Evans or Bristol. Welch 269.5. ESTC records copies in CtY, FU, and MWA.

POPULAR GERMAN PLAY PRINTED IN AMERICA

19. KOTZEBUE, AUGUST VON. Self Immolation: or, The Sacrifice of Love. A Play in Three Acts. Translated from the German of Kotzebue. New York: For Charles Smith and S. Stephens, 1800. 54 p. + final blank G4. Removed from a bound volume. Foxing and staining throughout. $225.00

A popular German play first printed in America the previous year. Evans 37759; Hill, American Plays, 280; ESTC 30953.

20. PAINE, [ROBERT TREAT]. The Ruling Passion: An Occasional Poem ... Spoken ... in the Chapel of the University, Cambridge, July 20, 1797. By Thomas Paine. Boston: Manning & Loring, for the author, 1797. 32 p. Later wrappers. Half morocco slipcase. $200.00

First edition of this American poem. Robert Treat Paine was christened Thomas but changed his name in 1801 to that of his deceased brother. Wegelin 302; Evans 32634.

PRESENTED BY EDWARD HARLEY TO HIS NIECE

21. PRIOR, MATTHEW. Poems on Several Occasions. London: For Jacob Tonson, and John Barber, 1718. Royal folio. [40], 506, [6] p. Engraved frontispiece, title-page vignette, head pieces, and initial letters. Extraneous engraved portrait of Prior dated 1719 neatly mounted to front flyleaf. Contemporary calf, boards with a two-line gold fillet enclosing a blind decorative roll, board edges with a gold decorative roll, spine very skillfully rebacked retaining the original label, recornered, marbled endpapers. Just the lightest occasional foxing, else a very good, lovely copy. $1400.00

First collected edition, large-paper copy. A gift from Edward Harley: "Mary Popham her book given me by my Uncell Edward Harley." Edward "Auditor" Harley subscribed for ten copies, and several other members of his family also subscribed. Harley was a great collector, and the Harleian manuscripts now reside in the British Library. In 1739 Mary Popham presented the book to J. Hay. Foxon 1:641.

FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE, IN A LOVELY CONTEMPORARY BINDING

22. SUCKLING, SIR JOHN. Fragmenta Aurea. A Collection of all the Incomparable Peeces, Written by Sir John Suckling ... Printed by his owne Copies. London: For Humphrey Moseley, 1646. [6], 119, [7], 82, 64, [4], 52 p. Engraved port. by William Marshall. Contemporary calf, gilt fillet and cornerpieces, red morocco spine label. Portrait and first two leaves with two very tiny holes at the gutter, worm trail in lower margin of first three gatherings, else a very nice copy in a lovely contemporary binding. Bookplate of C. Pearl Chamberlain and book label of Abel Berland. Fine red morocco pull-off case. Accompanied by an A.L.S. of John Suckling (1569-1627), father of the poet, Goodfathers, 29 July 1625, to an unnamed recipient, seeking information on his election as a burgess in Yarmouth. $6000.00

First edition, first state of the title, with "FRAGMENTA AVREA" in upper case, a period after "Churchyard" in the imprint, and the rule under the date; A3v:16 reads "allowred." Second state of the frontispiece, re-incised with heavier lines around the leaves of the garland and the bulge in the left sleeve. According the Beaurline and Clayton, the plate was most certainly re-incised in the course of printing and is fairly evenly distributed with the various states of the title. Suckling is perhaps best remembered for the fine lyrics in his dramas, including the famous line "Why so pale and wan, fond lover?" (in Aglaura). D'Avenant called Suckling the greatest gallant and gamester of his day. He is also remembered as the inventor of the game of cribbage. L. A. Beaurline and T. Clayton, "Notes on Early Editions of Fragmenta Aurea," Studies in Bibliography 23 (1970), pp. 165-170; Greg III, 1130; Hayward 84; Pforzheimer 996; Wing S-6126.

23. THOMSON, JAMES. Coriolanus. A Tragedy. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. London: For A. Millar, 1749. [8], 62, [2] p. Half title present. Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked. Paper flaw on B6 extending one inch into text, else a fine, clean copy. Book label of T. R. Francis. $150.00

First edition. Adapted from the same sources that Shakespeare used for his Coriolanus. The prologue is by Lord Lyttleton. Stratman 6341.

ALL FIVE PARTS

24. THOMSON, JAMES. [Liberty, a Poem.] London: For A. Millar, 1735-36. 4to. 37, [6], 10-42, [3], 10-48, [3], 6-63, [4], 6-38, [2] p. Lacks final advt. leaf in pt. 1 and half titles in pts. 2-5. Later half calf. First titie leaf dust soiled, final three leaves with repairs in lower corner affecting a few letters. Book label of T. R. Francis. $750.00

First edition of all five parts, lacking one advt. leaf and four half titles. Rothschild 2425 (pt. 1).

SIR HENRY WOTTON'S WORKS

25. WOTTON, SIR HENRY. Reliquiae Wottonianae: or, A Collection of Lives, Letters, Poems.... London: By T. Roycroft, for R. Marriott [et al], 1672. 8vo. [86], 582, [2] p. (erratically paginated, as published). Ports. Nineteenth-century red morocco. Early signatures of [J. Grien?], 1725, Thomas Price, and John Francis Cole, 1828; bookplates of J. J. Chapman and Molly Flagg Gibb. A very good copy. $900.00

Third edition, enlarged. The first 71 pages contain Wotton's The Elements of Architecture, the first work on architecture published in English (1624). Wing W-3650.

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