Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets With Critical Observations on their Works

Samuel Johnson; Peter Cunningham, F.S.A.

Edité par John Murray, London, 1854

A propos de cet article

A superbly bound collection of Samuel Johnson's celebrated and important work, in a full calf prize binding by Stephen Austin. In three volumes complete.Six of the Lives have been singled out as the most 'important': John Milton, John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison, Jonathan Swift, and Thomas Gray. One of the lives, Richard Savage, was previously printed as Life of Mr Richard Savage in 1744.Johnson began writing his 'lives', or individual biographical pieces, in 1740. The Lives, which were critical as well as biographical studies, appeared as prefaces to selections of each poet's work, and they were quite larger than originally expected. As Johnson justified in the advertisement for the work, "my purpose was only to have allotted to every Poet an Advertisement, like those which we find in the French Miscellanies, containing a few dates and a general character." However, he did not limit himself to a dry series of dates and biography, but created a series of Lives with, according to his 1783 edition Preface, "the honest intention of giving pleasure".Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history".In a prize presentation binding with bookplate to front pastedown of volume one.Bound by Stephen Austin, Hertford, with binder's stamp to front free endpaper. In calf prize bindings. Externally, in excellent condition with only slight wear to extremities and the odd slight mark to boards. Internally, firmly bound. Generally bright and clean throughout with slight scattered foxing to endpapers. Near Fine.

N° de réf. du vendeur SET41-E-3

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets With Critical Observations on their Works
• Éditeur: John Murray, London
• Date de parution: 1854
• Reliure: Fine Binding
• Illustrateur: None
• État de l'article: Near Fine
• Type de livre: book
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Biography & Autobiography