Alexander Pope and Friends. 16 pamphlets. 1733 – 1738.

Alexander Pope

One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight. A Dialogue something like Horace. By Mr. Pope. London: Printed for T. Cooper, [1738] (Price ONE SHILLING.)

Paginates: 4],10,[2] p. Collates: A-D2

Complete with a half-title and a final advertisement leaf. “(Price ONE SHILLING.)” on titlepage.

First Edition, First Printing. Foxon, P932. Griffith, 484

Alexander Pope

One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight. Dialogue II. By Mr. Pope. London: Printed for R. Dodsley at Tully’s Head in Pall-Mall, MDCCXXXVIII. [1738]

Paginates 16 p. Collates: A-D2.

First Edition, Second State. Last line on p. 10 has misprint “Fools” corrected with “Tools”. Foxon, P938 Griffith, 494

Alexander Pope

The Universal Prayer. By the author of the Essay on Man. London: Printed for R. Dodsley, at Tully’s-Head, in Pall-Mall, MDCCXXXVIII. [1738]

Paginates: 7, [1] p. Collates: (A)4

First Edition, First State. This edition has “Incence” in last line. This would be corrected to “incense” in later copies. Foxon, P982. Griffith, 492

James Miller

Of Politeness. An Epistle to the Right Honourable William Stanhope, Lord Harrington. By the author of Harlequin Horace. London: Printed for L. Gilliver and J. Clark, at Homer’s Head in Fleetstreet, and at their Shop in Westminster-Hall, 1738. [Price 1s.]

The volume is paginated: 20p. The volume collates: A-E2

Complete. First Edition, Variant. Foxon M255. A variant copy not listed in Foxon. This copy with the addition of ‘at Homer’s Head in Fleetstreet’ and [Price 1s.], not present in the first state. Horizontal chain lines as per the first edition.

Anonymous

The Man of Taste. Occasion’d by an Epistle of Mr. Pope’s on that subject. By the author of The Art of Politicks. London: Printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer’s Head against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleetstreet, 1733. Price 1 s.

The volume is paginated:  19, [1] p. The volume collates: (A)2 B – E2

With a half-title. Illustration on verso of half-title, signed: G. V[an]d[er] Gucht Sc.

In this impression; no advertisement at foot of title; 15 books advertised on p.[20]. With italic parentheses around the pagination on p. 11, 12, 13 and 19; with opening italic parenthesis on p.15.

An early impression with only 15 books advertised. The last leaf has had a section cut out, which cuts off the page number at the top. Probably to excise a signature.

Foxon  B396

John Lord Hervey

An Epistle from a Nobleman to a Doctor of Divinity: In Answer to a Latin Letter in Verse. Written from H—–n-C—-t, Aug. 28. 1733. London: Printed for J. Roberts, near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane, MDCCXXXIII. [1733] (Price Sixpence.)

The volume is paginated as follows:  8 p. The volume collates: (A)2, B2

Complete. First Edition. Foxon, H157

One of Pope’s harshest critics ridicules Pope’s deformity and humble birth in this pamphlet that would lead to a huge outpouring of new material from Pope and other Poets. Complete in all respects.

Until the publication of the Memoirs Hervey was chiefly known as the object of savage satire on the part of Alexander Pope, in whose works he figured as Lord Fanny, Sporus, Adonis and Narcissus. The quarrel is generally put down to Pope’s jealousy of Hervey’s friendship with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. In the first of the Imitations of Horace, addressed to William Fortescue, Lord Fanny and Sappho were generally identified with Hervey and Lady Mary, although Pope denied the personal intention. Hervey had already been attacked in the Dunciad and the Peribathous, and he now retaliated. There is no doubt that he had a share in the Verses to the Imitator of Horace (1732) and it is possible that he was the sole author. In the Letter from a nobleman at Hampton Court to a Doctor of Divinity (1733), he scoffed at Pope’s deformity and humble birth.

The public on the whole judged Hervey’s poem ‘Letter from a Nobleman’ as reckless and foolish. Indeed several of Pope’s acquaintances took up the gauntlet defending Pope and ridiculing Hervey.

Pope’s reply was a Letter to a Noble Lord, dated November 1733, and the Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot. (1735) that famously contains Pope’s savage attack on Lord Hervey, who is named “Paris” here but “Sporus” in subsequent editions: “Let Paris tremble” – “What? that Thing of silk, Paris, that mere white Curd of Ass’s milk? Satire or Shame alas! Can Paris feel? Who breaks a Butterfly upon a Wheel?”. Again in 1743, Hervey is memorably portrayed as Sporus, the castrated boy whom Nero had transformed into his wife.

Alexander Pope

An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot. London: Printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer’s Head in Fleetstreet, 1734 [1735]

The volume is paginated as follows: [1] – 19; 30.  P.20 misnumbered 30.

The volume collates: A², B-F².

Complete, First Edition.

Foxon, P802, Griffith, 352

Pope openly attacks his enemies, The Dunces: Lord Hervey and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in one of his most famous epistles.

“Let Paris tremble” – “What? that Thing of silk, Paris, that mere white Curd of Ass’s milk? Satire or Shame alas! Can Paris feel? Who breaks a Butterfly upon a Wheel?”.

Person of Quality.

The Wrongheads: A Poem. Inscrib’d to Mr. Pope. By a Person of Quality. London: Printed for T. Astley at the Rose over against the North Door of St. Paul’s; and sold by R. Wellington without Temple-Bar, MDCCXXXIII. [1733] [Price 6d.]

Paginates: 12 p. Collates: (A)2, B-C2

Complete. Foxon: W572. Scarce. Acker’s ledger under 29 May 1733 records the printing of 250 copies for Astley.

‘Shall knaves and fool’s command the world’s applause’. A satire in emulation of Pope.

Paul Whitehead

The State Dunces. Inscribed to Mr. Pope. London: Printed for W. Dickenson in Witch-Street. 1733. (Price One Shilling.)

Paginates as follows: (2) 3 – 18 p. Collates as follows: (A), B-E2, F1

Complete. First Edition. (?)  Part I, ascertained by Foxon as the first of five editions dated 1733.  Foxon W426

As often, Part I, ‘E—e’ on page 11 has been corrected in manuscript to ‘E—-x’, and the following word (‘and’) has been crossed out; the ornament on the title-page is inverted.

Paul Whitehead

The State Dunces. Inscribed to Mr. Pope. Part II. Being the last. London: Printed for W. Dickenson in Witch-Street. 1733. [Price One Shilling.]

Paginates as follows: 19 (1) p. Collates as follows: (A)2, B – E2

First Edition. Foxon W431.

The Dunces: Lord Hervey and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.

Alexander Pope

The Parody that best underlined Pope’s contempt for George II. Here in a First Edition, Impression B / A setting.

The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace, Imitated. London: printed for T. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater-Noster-Row, M.DCC.XXXVII. [1737] (Price one shilling.)

The volume is paginated as follows:  iv, 23,[1] p.

Collates: (A)2, B-G2

Complete. First Edition. Mixed Impression B / A:  July 21 Printing; Pg. iv a I (one), on Pg. 3 a dagger. May 25 Printing; pg. 15 a I, on pg.  22 a dagger. Footnote 36 is misnumbered as 37 and the catchword is 37Charles.

As per Griffith mixed states do exist. This copy put together as the first section was used up, with the first half the July printing and the second half the May printing. An early copy as the catchword 37Charles had not been changed by the pressman to 38Charles. Foxon P881, Griffith, 458, 467.

Alexander Pope

Of the Characters of Women: An Epistle to a Lady. By Mr. Pope. London: Printed by J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver at Homer’s Head against St. Dunstan’s Church in Flettstreet, MDCCXXXV. [1735] (Price One Shilling)

The volume is paginated: [2], 16 p. The volume collates:  )(2, B, B-D2

Complete. First Edition. The rare Variant A with Flettstreet in the imprint and no final advertisement leaf.

Foxon, P917, Griffith, 360

Anonymous

Priestcraft: or The Way to Promotion: A Poem address’d to the Inferior Clergy of England. Being Wholesome Advice, How to Behave at the Approaching Election. London : Printed for J. Wilford, behind the Chapter-House in St. Paul’s Church-Yard, M.DCC.XXXIV. [1734]

Paginates: [2],13,[1] p. Collates: (A)2, B-D2

Complete. Rare. Three copies in institutions.  Foxon, P1055

Alexander Pope

The first epistle of the first book of Horace imitated. By Mr. Pope. London : printed for R. Dodsley at Tully’s Head in Pall-Mall, and sold by T. Cooper in Pater-Noster-Row, MDCCXXXVII. [1737] [1738]

Paginates: 19,[1] p.  Collates B-F2

Not Complete. Lacking Title Page. Pages 18-19 correctly numbered. “Apparently reset except for sheet E and part of F” (Foxon).  Foxon, P878. Griffith, 481

Alexander Pope

The Second Epistle of the Second Book of Horace, imitated by Mr. Pope. London: printed for R. Dodsley, at Tully’s Head, in Pall-Mall, M.DCC.XXXVII. [1737] (Price One Shilling)

Paginates: 19,[1] p. Collates: (A)2, B-E2

First Edition, First State. Ordinary Paper Issue. Footnote on p. 12 misnumbered 16 (for 15); line 16, p. 4 reading “Godfry”.  Griffith, 447. Foxon, P955

 George Smalridge. (attrib)         

The Art of Preaching: In Imitation of Horace’s Art of Poetry. London: Printed for R. Dodsley, at Tully’s Head, in Pall-Mall, [1738] (Price One Shilling)

Paginates: [2],18 p. Collates (A), B-E2, F

Complete: Foxon, D376