Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$161.03 + shipping
Description: The very scarce second edition of this early eighteenth century pastoral work from John Gay, poet and dramatist best remembered for 'The Beggar's Opera'. Printed from the sheets of the first edition. The second edition of this work of poetry from John Gay, published in the same year as the first edition, using the same sheets as the first edition, but with a new title page.Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and six full plate engravings, designed and engraved by Louis Du Guernier. Collated, complete.This second edition, with the Tonson/Taylor imprint, is very scarce.Lacking the final advertisement leaf that is called for. Contemporary owner's inscription to head of title page.ESTC reference no. T13916A scarce early printing of this important pastoral poem, describing homely farmyard tasks and simple domestic life, and complemented with the delightful engravings of Du Guernier. Disbound, with remnants of calf back strip only. Internally, firmly bound. Pages age toned due to paper type, with scattered light spotting. Contemporary inscription to head of title page. Ink marks to margins of four pages. Good Only
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$367.15 + shipping
Description: 8vo, pp. [xvi], 60, [4]; pagination including frontispiece and six other plates by Du Guernier; a little discoloured at beginning, and with more prominent stains on pp. 34-35; but a decent copy; in later tree calf, rebacked; modern endpapers. First edition: an important pastoral poem, describing homely farmyard tasks and domestic life rather than the arcadian artificalities common to most contributions to this genre. Gay's verses are a deliberate reaction to the pseudo-erotic coyness of the pastoral verse of Ambrose Philips, as criticized by Addison in the Guardian. His satire is encapsulated in his repeated use of fake archaic and dialect terms, pedantically annotated in the Scriblerian manner. Foxon G69.
Seller: Christopher Edwards ABA ILAB, Henley-on-Thames, OXON, United Kingdom
Price: US$495.98 + shipping
Description: 8vo, pp. [xvi], 60, [4]; pagination including frontispiece and six other plates by Du Guernier; in half calf, by Wallis. First edition: an important pastoral poem, describing homely farmyard tasks and domestic life rather than the arcadian artificalities common to most contributions to this genre. Gay's verses are a deliberate reaction to the pseudo-erotic coyness of the pastoral verse of Ambrose Philips, as criticized by Addison in the Guardian. His satire is encapsulated in his repeated use of fake archaic and dialect terms, pedantically annotated in the usual Scriblerian manner. Foxon G69.
Seller: Christopher Edwards ABA ILAB, Henley-on-Thames, OXON, United Kingdom
Price: US$565.55 + shipping
Description: First edition. 8vo., 19th century leather spine, boards, (16), 60, (4)pp. With an engraved frontispiece and 6 engraved plates. Upper hinge starting and tender o/w a very good copy. Foxon G69.
Seller: David Mason Books (ABAC), Toronto, ON, Canada
Gay, Mr. J. [John]. The Shepherd's Week. In Six Pastorals.. R. Burleigh, London, 1714.
Price: US$716.36 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Early edition, of uncertain priority, c. 1714. Scarce "Ordinary Paper Copy" bound in later grey laid paper wrappers. Engraved frontipiece and six other plates by Louis du Guernier. Early ownership signature of "Chris Gunby Coll Joh." to title-page, with a good deal of later provenance indicated inside slipcase, including Alfred Matthew Hale (armorial bookplate), the Braikenridge Collection, David and Lulu Borowitz and Michael Curtis Phillips. Very light soiling and staining, mostly to the last several leaves; wrappers moderately soiled and creased. The book is near fine internally. [16+]60+4[index]pp. Preserved in a morocco-backed slip-case. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall
Seller: CARDINAL BOOKS ~~ ABAC/ILAB, London -- Birr, ON, Canada
GAY, John. The Shepherd's Week. In Six Pastorals. Burleigh, London, 1714.
Price: US$725.00 + shipping
Description: (16), 60, (4) pp., including an engraved frontispiece and six other plates designed and engraved by Du Guernier. Light overall browning and small worm hole in lower margins. Slim 8vo, purple wrappers, housed in a 1/2 crimson morocco slipcase First edition. London: printed, and sold by Ferd. Burleigh, 1714. First Edition. Very good. Foxon G69; CBEL II, 497. An important pastoral poem, describing homely farmyard tasks and domestic life
Seller: Argosy Book Store, ABAA, ILAB, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$750.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: First edition, variant printing (with the apostrophe omitted in "Shepherds" on the title page). Octavo. pp. [16] [1-3] 4-60 [4]. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and six full-page engravings, designed and engraved by Louis Du Guernier. Contemporary full calf neatly re-backed with later laid paper endleaves, gilt decorated spine with raised bands and gilt-stamped spine labels, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt. Some scuffing to the board edges, scattered light foxing. A pleasing, very good copy of Gay's first major work. *ESTC* T13915.
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Price: US$1932.39 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two poetical works by John Gay bound as one. The first volume, The Shepherd's Week In Six Pastorals is the second edition of this work. It was printed the same year as the first edition using the same sheets as the first edition, with a new title page (ESTC, Foxon, G71). The Shepherd's Week states to title page that it is the second edition and is printed for J[acob] T[onson] and sold by W Taylor. The first edition had the imprint of Ferd. Burleigh. Scarce to have a copy with the Tonson/Taylor imprint. With the scarce advertisement leaf to the rear of the work. Illustrated, with a frontispiece and six plates. Collated, complete. The Shepherd's Week was John Gay's first major work. It is a series of six pastorals drawing on English rustic farming life. The second work to this volume is Gay's celebrated Trivia. This is the first edition of the work, undated to title page though is known to be published in 1716 This is not the large paper edition, and has the phoenix headpiece to the first page and two printer's ornaments to pages 21 and 53. According to the ESTC the ornaments to pages 21 and 53 are also used by William Bowyer. To this edition the signature of C3 is signed, the variant on the ESTC is unsigned. This appears to be one of the 2000 ordinary copies by Lintott which is scarce in itself with only one copy on Copac. The same year as this publication there was a Dublin imprint and other editions by Lintott. Trivia or the Art of Walking the Streets of London is a poem in three books. It is a graphic and humorous description of eighteenth century London. The narrative tone is mock-heroic form and is aimed at the idle upper and upper-middle class society. From the antiquarian library of Christopher Rowe. Christopher Rowe was a schoolmaster in Norwich and then in Bristol. Throughout his career he inspired many to love literature, history and music. He was a specialist on 17th century printer and bookseller, Humphrey Moseley and began his, unfortunately unfinished, PhD dissertation on him. In a half calf binding with paper covered boards. Externally, generally smart with small patches of light rubbing to the boards. Slight rubbing to the extremities and to the joints. Loss to head of front joint. Surface cracks to spine. Prior owner's bookplate to front pastedown, Christopher Rowe. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are age toned, particularly to edges. Instances of light scattered spots. Very Good
Seller: Rooke Books PBFA, Bath, United Kingdom
Price: US$2383.29 + shipping
Description: 8vo. pp. [8], 48, title printed in red and black, with engraved frontispiece and five engraved plates by Du Bosc after Du Guernier. 5 works in one vol., 8vo.; contemporary speckled calf, joints cracking at foot.Second edition of the final text, reset throughout and now with a headpiece to each canto. Griffith 34; Foxon P943. [Bound with:][POPE, Alexander]. A Key to the Lock. Or, a Treatise proving, beyond all Contradiction, the dangerous Tendency of a late Poem, entituled, The Rape of the Lock. To Government and Religion. By Esdras Barnivelt, Apoth. The second Edition. To which are added commendatory Copies of Verses, by the most eminent political Wits of the Age. London: Printed for J. Roberts 1715; pp. iv, 5-32. Second edition, reprinting the text of the first (also 1715), with four new poems addressed to the pseudonymous Esdras Barnivelt. Griffith 38. [And:]GAY, John. The Shepherd's Week The second Edition. London, Printed for J[acob]. T[onson]. and sold by W. Taylor 1714; pp. [14], [3]-60, [4], with engraved frontispiece and six plates by Du Guernier; wanting final leaf of ads. Second edition of Gay's earthy pastorals, reprinting Ferdinando Burleigh's first edition of the same year. Foxon G71. [And:]GAY, John. Trivia: or, the Art of Walking the Streets of London London: Printed for Bernard Lintott [1716]; pp. [4], 80, [12]. First edition, the issue on ordinary paper, of Gay's three urban eclogues conducting the reader through the streets and junctions ('trivia' in Latin) of London first by day and then by night, encountering a series of entertaining characters, from boot-boys and ballad-singers to footmen and fishwives. Foxon G81 (phoenix headpiece on p. 1); Rothschild 916. [And:]COUNSELLOR'S PLEA (The) for the Divorce of Sir G[eorge]. D[owning]. and Mrs. F[orester]. The second Edition. London: Sold by R. Burleigh 1715; pp. [6], 33, [1]. A rare reissue (the title-page is a cancel): ESTC records a copy at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin only.
Seller: Bernard Quaritch Ltd ABA ILAB, London, United Kingdom