Polymetis : An Inquiry Concerning the Agreement Between the Works of the Roman Poets, and the Remains of the Ancient Artists. An Attempt to Illustrate Them Mutually from One Another. In Ten Books. The Second Edition, Corrected By the Author.

Second edition, corrected. vi, 361 pages; frontportrait, plates (41) complete; indexes; beautiful full contemporary leather binding (folio). Joints and leather expertly repaired. Joseph Spencer (1699-1768) was a historian and poet by trade and also Alexander Pope's friend and promoter. The work POLYMETIS was written in the form of a dialogue, being a treatise on classical mythology as illustrated by ancient works of art and Latin authors. It was Spencer's only considerable contribution to classical scholarship and one for which he earned 1,500 pounds from its publication. The first edition was written in 1747. Later in Spencer's life he became an expert of designing gardens for estates in the London area. He drowned in an ornamental pool in 1768.