The Merry Tales of the Wise Men of Gotham

Halliwell, James Orchard

Published by John Russell Smith, London, 1840

About this Item

Paperback. VERY SCARCE. James Orchard Halliwell [Phillipps] (1820-1889) was a Shakespearean scholar and antiquarian. He married the daughter of Sir Thomas Phillipps, the bibliophile, whose surname he took in 1872, despite their falling out over Halliwell's questionable ethics (see below). He wrote several biographical works on Shakespeare, including the Life of William Shakespeare. Halliwell was also a reputed manuscript thief and was banned from the library of the British Museum over suspicion about his possession of manuscripts that had been removed from Trinity College. He also was known for cutting up seventeenth-century books, supposedly destroying over 800 books. Despite being a rogue, he was a famous and notable Shakespearean, and was instrumental in establishing the Shakespeare museum at Stratford-on-Avon. Halliwell was also well-known as a writer and collector of nursery rhymes. This slender, humorous volume shows the influence of both his antiquarian and whimsical predilections. It purports to be a collection of vignettes about the men of Gotham, a village in Nottinghamshire, who are known for their stupidity. In the introduction, Halliwell quotes the nursery rhyme, "Three wise men of Gotham went to sea in a bowl; and if the bowl had been stronger, my song would have been longer." There are 20 equally humorous tales in this work. Very good in blue, black & white marbled paper wrappers, pink-hued paper pastedown bearing title to front cover (small stain near its top edge). 12mo. Light smudging to title-page and small bit of oil-like soiling to insides of both wrappers (text unaffected); antiquated writing to top of title-page and one notation in margin. Interior is otherwise clean with very bright text; no foxing or browning. Tightly bound, no loose pages. 24 pages. Literature. LIT/12163.

Seller Inventory # 5648

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Merry Tales of the Wise Men of Gotham
• Publisher: John Russell Smith, London
• Publication Date: 1840
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Literature