Pope, Alexander

4to, 16pp., disbound, first edition, lacking half-title, pale waterstain in the lower portion

Griffith 317 (noting that the pagination calls for a half-title, but not having seen a copy in which it was present); Foxon P898; Keynes, John Donne, 112n.

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."

One of the rarest of all Pope's major titles: no copy has been sold at auction for more than fifty years. The poem is an adaptation of a satire by Donne, which is itself an imitation of a famous satire of Horace, in which the poet meets a pretentious chatterbox in the street, and cannot break away until the fellow's adversary appears on the scene. Both Donne and Pope change the scene to the court. Pope published this poem anonymously, and his authorship may not have been widely recognized at first. A corrected and enlarged version appeared, however, in 1735, as part of the second volume of Pope's Works, under the new title, "The Fourth Satire of Dr. John Donne."

The half-title (missing in this copy) is confirmed as present in only four of the 13 copies recorded by the ESTC and Foxon.