“THE GREATEST POET OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND THE MOST DEADLY SATIRIST IN ENGLISH”: HANDSOME 18TH-CENTURY DUBLIN EDITION OF ALEXANDER POPE’S WRITINGS

POPE, Alexander. Works. Dublin: for G. Faulkner, T. Moore and A. Bradley, 1751-64. Nine volumes. 12mo, contemporary full speckled calf gilt, raised bands, red and green morocco spine labels.

Early collected Irish edition of Pope’s always deft, delightful and frequently devastating satirical poetry— including his celebrated “Essay on Criticism” and his classic mock-heroic epic “The Rape of the Lock”— as well as his correspondence.

“Pope is the greatest poet of the 18th century and the most deadly satirist in English, whether in the light-fantastic, mock-heroic vein of The Rape of the Lock, the mature vision of the Moral Essays, the forthright onslaughts of the Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot or the desolate vision of Book IV of The Dunciad. In his hands the heroic couplet is a subtle and varied weapon of ridicule” (An English Library, 129-30). In addition to all these and other works, this handsome set presents the lauded Essay on Criticism— Pope’s poetic proclamation of literary ideals, the work that “established Pope’s reputation once and for all” (Kunitz & Haycraft, 413)— the Essay on Man—“Pope’s most ambitious original poem; no student of his work can afford to pass it by” (Kunitz & Haycraft, 414)— and his extensive, enlightening correspondence. Pope is, “perhaps permanently, our great example in English of ‘the poet of reason,’ of intellectuality in the poetic art” (Baugh et al., 932). Warburton’s edition of Pope (the text presented here) first published in London, 1751 (see Lowndes, 1913-14). “This edition remained the standard one until Warton’s edition in 1797” (Griffith, 521). George Faulkner, Dublin printer and bookseller, “was the main outlet for the works of Jonathan Swift from the 1730s… [and also] brought out Dublin editions of Pope’s works, a touch matter since the status of Irish republication of English books was a gray area legally” (Rogers, 121). In this set, Volumes II and III are dated 1751; Volumes I, IV, VI (title page reads Volume V) are dated 1752; Volume V is dated 1756; Volumes VII-IX are dated 1764.

Scattered light foxing and dampstaining. Volume IX title page with horizontal closed tear. A few volumes with light expert restoration. A handsome set in about-fine condition.