Lot 123
  • 123

Walpole, Horace.

Estimate
900 - 1,200 GBP
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Description

  • Two works:
A Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England, with Lists of their Works. Strawberry Hill, 1758, 8vo, 2 volumes, first edition, one of 300 copies,  volume 1 with engraved frontispiece by Grignion, Dedication in second state with reading "to have a bias", contemporary green morocco gilt by roger payne, all edges gilt, some occasional browning;  A Letter to the Editor of the Miscellanies of Thomas Chatterton. Strawberry Hill, 1779, first edition, one of 200 copies, 8vo, with the half-title, the misprint on p.22 ("elequence" for "eloquence) corrected in ink by Walpole, as in other copies seen by Hazen, red morocco, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, other edges uncut (3)

Provenance

[A Letter to the Editor:] Laurence Currie, bookplate; David Borowitz of Chicago, tipped-in book-label, the sale of his library at Sotheby's New York, 15 November 1977, lot 257

Literature

[A Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England:] Hazen Walpole 10; Hazen Strawberry Hill 3
[A Letter to the Editor:] Hazen Walpole 23; Hazen Strawberry Hill 27; Rothschild 2500

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The second work is Walpole's defence of his own role in the Chatterton affair. Chatterton had contacted him in 1769 with a copy of a manuscript allegedly by one Thomas Rowley, who had supposedly in 1469 described the rise of painting in England and composed poems of which Chatterton provided examples. After initially encouraging his correspondent, he later sought  further advice, which revealed that Chatterton had concocted a clever forgery. Walpole disengaged himself, and Chatterton subsequently committed suicide in August 1770. As interest in the young poet grew, it was alleged that Walpole had driven him to take his own life. This Letter, his rebuttal of such a charge, was not officially published by Walpole in this edition (according to Hazen, who notes that: "a considerable number remained undisposed of for many years), and did not appear publicly until printed serially in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1782. But "the Chatterton smear, which had no origin in truth other than his initial gullibility, was to do his reputation enduring harm" (Oxford DNB).