A Select Collection of Poems, from the most approved Authors. In Two Volumes.

ANTHOLOGY.

Published by Edinburgh: printed by A. Donaldson, and sold at his shops in London and Edinburgh. 1768, 1768

About this Item

vii, [3], 264pp; viii, 264pp, half titles. 12mo signed in sixes. Early handwritten note to vol. II p.123 identifying an author. Some offset browning to endpapers, otherwise a v.g. clean copy. Full contemporary calf, raised & gilt banded spines, red morocco labels; v. sl. wear to one spine head. v.g. ESTC T117085, noting the final page of Vol. I misnumbered 64, but in this copy it is printed correctly. In Edinburgh in 1758 Donaldson first published his Select Collection of Modern Poems which he re-issued in 1759 and 1763, but this 1768 title is not related, and is in fact the first Scots piracy of Robert Dodsley's Collection which had last been published in London in 1766. Although 95% of the pages are taken from Dodsley the prefatory advertisement skilfully conceals this fact, and announces that the poems 'have been carefully selected by gentlemen well known in the poetical world. [and] are undoubtedly the best collection. in the English language, yet offered to the public'. This was most likely to conceal its origins from James Dodsley, who had taken over sole control of the family business, and also to make it more saleable to a London market. Eight new poems were added, including The Vanity of Human Wishes, by Samuel Johnson, and it was also advertised for sale at Donaldson's London shop, which he had opened in 1763 to compete with the London booksellers. His Edinburgh shop was already well established, selling cheap reprints to undercut London printings, and was frequented by Boswell. Samuel Johnson disliked Donaldson, thinking him 'a fellow who takes advantage of the law to injure his brethren.'. While he made a fortune in his reprint business, he had to bear the expense of legal actions over copyright infringement, and in three cases against him, Boswell acted as his advocate. (Ref: Books & Their Readers in the 18th Century, edited by Isabel Rivers, 2001.).

Seller Inventory # 60428

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Select Collection of Poems, from the most approved Authors. In Two Volumes.
• Publisher: Edinburgh: printed by A. Donaldson, and sold at his shops in London and Edinburgh. 1768
• Publication Date: 1768
• Binding: Hardcover
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)