The Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, In Prose and Verse; Serious, Moral, and Comical. In Four Volumes. [Samuel Shellabarger copy].

Brown, Thomas.

Edité par Sam Briscoe, 1707-1708., London:, 1707

A propos de cet article

Pagination: [24], 164, [2], 142, 128, [16], 164, [8], 242 of 246, lacks p23-26 supplied in fine facsimile, [2], [8], 156, 147, [1], 160, 388p. Lacks original blank endpapers. A very good copy of a scarce set. At time of description we locate only one other set for sale, which has later editions of volume three and four and is set at a much higher price than ours. ESTC locates only 2 copies (none in the US) of the 1708 first edition fourth volume, and only several of the third volume. All first four volumes are very rare. Modern cloth bindings with red and gilt title labels, very minor shelf wear, modern endpapers, overall excellent. Volume one with some minor foxing/browning, frontispiece and title with very outer margin edge wear, no affect, few leaves with minor corner tears, no affect, p121 [2H6] with few contemporary ink notes. Volume two lacks two leaves p23-26 in second part, supplied in fine facsimile on period paper professionally tipped in (see pics), frontis with small tear at inner margin, repaired, few foxing spots but over all clean. Volume three minor foxing/browning, p13 with tiny burn hole, p125 minor tear at outer margin, no affect, 3C2 with small corner tear, no text affect. Volume four with contemporary owners signature at top of title page, p 165 & 175 with small contemporary note at outer margin, else clean, this volume is .25 inch taller than the first three volumes, as issued. Each volume with a bookplate of Samuel Shellabarger on inside front board, as well as a bookplate for ?Morrell? [Frederic of Broughton Grange - Oxford] on the verso of each title page. Illustrations: With three frontispieces for vols I-III, volume four has no frontis, as issued. ?Thomas Brown (1663-1704), English satirist, of ?facetious memory? as Addison designates him. entered in 1678 at Christ Church, Oxford, where he is said to have escaped expulsion by the famous lines beginning ?I do not love thee, Dr Fell.? He was for three years schoolmaster at Kingston-on Thames, and afterwards settled in London. He was the author of a great variety of poems, letters, dialogues and lampoons, full of humor and erudition, but course and scurrilous. His writings have a certain value for the knowledge they display of low life in London. His collected works were published in 1707-1708. The second volume contains a collection of Letters From The Dead to the Living, some of which are translated from the French. [-Theodora-Encyclopedia]. "Tom Brown's life was as licentious as his writings. Much of his time was spent in a low tavern in Gower's Row in the Minories. His knowledge of London was certainly 'extensive and peculiar,' and his humorous sketches of low life are both entertaining and valuable. An anonymous biographer says: 'Tom Brown had less the spirit of a gentleman than the rest of the wits, and more of a scholar. ' As of his mistresses, so he was very negligent in the choice of his companions, who were sometimes mean and despicable." [-DNB]. Interesting to note that DNB states ?A collected edition of Browns works in three volumes with a character of the author by James Drake, MD, was published in 1707-8, 8vo.? and lists the correct titles but incorrectly states no fourth volume at same time of publishing, as our copy.Samuel Shellabarger (1888-1954), American educator and author of both scholarly works and best selling fiction. Often used the pen names John Esteven and Peter Loring. Popular novels of mystery, fantasy and romance, including a couple films starring Tyrone Power. Citations: ESTC: T52781. ESTC: T50097. ESTC: N19989. ESTC: N61475. . First edition. Rare collection of all four volumes being first printings of this set.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The Works of Mr. Thomas Brown, In Prose and Verse; Serious, Moral, and Comical. In Four Volumes. [Samuel Shellabarger copy].
• Éditeur: Sam Briscoe, 1707-1708., London:
• Date de parution: 1707
• Reliure: Couverture rigide