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1818 edition. With a nine-page life of the author: Memoirs of the late Dr. Edward Young by G.W. and a one-page preface. Illustrated with two attractive copper engravings (frontispiece and title-page, as called for): a copper engraved title-page showing: a man in a nightdress in an arched doorway looking out at the starlit night: 'London, printed for T. Tegg, No 111 Cheapside, Jan'ry 1. 1817' and a black and white copper-engraved frontispiece showing the author kneeling in thought and prayer before a book-table, with a book open on it underneath a ray of moonlight, and a woman kneeling over two children in the background: 'London. Published by T.Tegg, No. 111 Cheapside, Jan'ry 1. 1817'. ***'About the year 1741, he had the unhappiness to lose his wife, and both her children, which she had by her first husband; a son and a daughter, very promising characters. They all died within a short time of each other: that he felt greatly for their loss, as well as for that of this lady, may easily be perceived by his fine poem of the Night Thoughts, occasioned by it. This was a species of poetry peculiarly his own, and has been unrivalled by all who have attempted to copy him. His applause here was deservedly great.' (Quote from Memoirs of the Late Dr. Edward Young by G.W. to the fore). ***Good in marbled half-leather boards with gilt titles, gilt decoration and rules, two raised bands and four compartments to the spine. Contemporaneous owner's name and date in sepia copper-plate fountain pen handwriting on top of front free endpaper: 'Christopher Secker's Book, April, 1823.' Short underlinings in very soft pencil of text, and pencil-ticks alongside margins of important passages throughout book (could easily be erased). One word 'peace' written in sepia fountain pen to top of page to correct printer's error: 'piece' on page 21 and one tiny sepia ink tick in margin page 23. Boards rubbed. Some of the marbled surface is worn and scuffed. Scuff to rear board where a price-sticker has been removed. Edges of boards rubbed. Corners of boards worn, rubbed and bumped. Spine edges rubbed. Spine tight. ***260 mm x 106 mm. xi pages prelims including nine-page introductory essay: Memoirs of the Late Dr. Edward Young by G.W and a one-page preface to the fore plus 312 text-pages. ***'After her death it seems she was denied Christian burial, on account of being reckoned a heretic, by the inhabitants of the place; which inhumanity is justly resented in the same beautiful poem; see Night 3, line 165; in which his wife also is frequently mentioned; and thus he laments the loss of all three in an apostrophe to death --- [Note]:The Priests refusing the Doctor leave to bury his daughter in one of their church-yards, he was obliged, with the assistance of his servant, to dig a grave in a field near Montpelier where they deposited the body without the help of any of the inhabitants, who consider protestants in the same light as they do brutes.' (Quote from page iv of the Life of the Author by G. W.). ***An early 1818 antiquarian edition of Edward Young's classic poem: Night-Thoughts complete in its original half leather and marbled boards binding with the two copper engravings to the fore. Of interest to collectors of antiquarian literary titles. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.***. Seller Inventory # 2990
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Bibliographic Details
Title: THE COMPLAINT; or NIGHT THOUGHTS, on LIFE, ...
Publisher: Thomas Tegg, 111 Cheapside, London
Publication Date: 1818
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket, as Issued
Edition: New Edition
