Alexander Pope | An Essay on Man, [c.1733], bound with: Jonathan Swift, On Poetry, 1733

Alexander Pope

An Essay on Man. In Epistles to a Friend. Epistle I [-4], bound with Jonathan Swift, On Poetry

Comprising:

i. Epistle I. London: printed for J. Wilford, [1733]. 3rd edition, pp. 2 + iv + 3-17, p.4 misnumbered 8, p.12 misnumbered 11, reverse of p.17 blank [Wise no.4, noting that "the pamphlet was issued without a half-title"]

ii. Epistle II. London: printed for J. Wilford, [1733]. FIRST EDITION, pp. ii + 18, including half-title [Wise no.5]

iii. Epistle III. London: printed for J. Wilford, [1733]. FIRST EDITION, pp. 20, including half-title [Wise no.8]

iv. Epistle IV. London: printed for J. Wilford, [1733]. FIRST EDITION, pp. iv + 18 + one unnumbered leaf [Wise no.10, noting that "the pamphlet was issued without a half-title"]

v. On Poetry: A Rhapsody. London: J. Huggonson, 1733. FIRST EDITION, pp. 1-28 [Hayward 153; Foxon S-888; Rothschild 2147; Teerink 741]

5 works in one volume, folio (351 x 217 mm.), contemporary calf, later red morocco label to spine, sprinkled edges, wear to boards with areas of repair to lower board

Epistle I includes several manuscript corrections in an early hand, plausibly that of Thomas Gage, 1st Viscount Gage (c.1695-1754), whose brother Joseph Gage was satirised by Pope in the Epistle to Bathurst for aspiring to purchase the crown of Poland ("The Crown of Poland, venal twice an age, | To just three millions stinted modest Gage" (ll.127-8)). The corrections correspond to the quarto edition of May 1744, which was revised by Pope (see Davis's Oxford Standard Authors edition of 1978). Changes include the addition of 8 lines to the printed text, and demonstrate how many of the poem's most oft-quoted lines underwent significant changes during Pope's lifetime. For instance, the printed line "In reas'ning Pride (my Friend) our error lies" (l.119) becomes "In Pride, in reasoning Pride! our error lies", and "To sink opprest with Aromatic pain." (l.192) becomes "Die of a Rose in Aromatic pain". Moreover, the two couplets "Why has not Man a microscopic sight | For this plain reason, Man is not a Mite: | Say what th'advantage of so fine an Eye | T'inspect a a Mote, not comprehend the Sky" (ll.185-8) are transformed into "Why has not Man a microscopic Eye? | For this plain reason, Man is not a Fly! | Say what the use were finer Opticks given | T'inspect a Mite, not comprehend the Heaven:". Other corrections show how Pope fine-tuned the meter and punctuation of his verse.

PROVENANCE:

Viscount Gage, armorial bookplate