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Restoration Literature
The following list provides a small selection of the resources related to Restoration literature available for use in Rare Books and Special Collections. Many of these titles are held in multiple editions, incarnations, and copies. Books are listed chronologically in order of publication under each author. Students have an opportunity to practice the proper handling of early materials, as well as gain an understanding of the experience of reading during the Restoration. To request a class visit, please email the Curator.
Jump to: Dryden | Pope | Gay | Swift | Curll | Rochester | Behn | Montagu
Dryden, John, 1631-1700.
The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in three Parts. London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, at the Judges head in Chancery lane near Fleetstreet, 1687. [Rare Books PR 3418 H51687]
MacDonald 24a. This is probably the first edition, first issue of the poem. However, our copy is missing the first leaf, which holds license information; it is the missing information that determines the issue of the book.
Virgil. The Works of Virgil: Containing his Pastorals, Georgics, And Aeneid. Translated into English verse by Mr. Dryden. London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1697. [Rare Books Oversize PA 6801 A2 1697A]
Macdonald 33a. This first edition of Dryden's Translation of Virgil's works contains 101 plates dedicated to various nobles who subscribed to the work; they paid 5 guineas for the privilege of a plate with their coats of arms. Additional subscribers paid 2 guineas to have their names printed as part of the secondary subscribers list.
Fables Ancient and Modern, translated into verse, from Homer, Ovid, Boccace, & Chaucer: with original poems. By Mr. Dryden. [1st ed.] London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, within Gray's Inn Gate Next to Gray's Inn Lane, 1700. [Rare PR 3418 F3 1700]
Macdonald 37a. This is the first edition of Dryden's Fables. In his preface, Dryden ripostes attacks in print by Milbourne and Blackmore.
Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744.
The Dunciad, Variorvm. With the Prolegomena of Scriblerus. London: Printed for A. Dod, 1729.[Rare PR 3625 A1 1729 TitleA]
Griffith 211. This is the first edition of the Dunciad to feature the critical aparatus and notes. According to Griffith, the imprint is false. Although Alexander Dodd published the first edition of the Dunciad, his wife, who was carrying on the business after his death, was not responsible for this edition. Rather, it was published by Lawton Gilliver.
The Dunciad. With notes variorum and the prolegomena of Scriblerus.Written in the year, 1727. London: Printed for L. Gilliver, 1733? [PR 3625 A1 1733]
Griffith 218? This early issue octavo edition has been underlined by a contemporary reader.
An Essay on Man. Address'd to a friend. Part I. London: Printed for J. Wilford, at the Three-Flower-de-luces, behind the Chapter-house, St. Paul's, [1733.].[Rare Oversize PR 3627 A1 1733G]
Griffith 304 (Issue G). There are 13 known issues of the first edition. According to Griffith, it has been difficult to establish precedence (i.e. which is the "true" first). While this copy (issue "G") has in the past been named as the true first, and as such, is highly collectible, Griffith thinks that it is actually a later printing, closer to that of the second edition. Also bound into this volume are issues 313P, 308Q, and 331Ua of the second, third, and fourth epistles of Essay on Man. RBSC holds multiple issues of the Essay on Man, as well as the 1962 Pierpont Morgan / Houghton Library Roxburghe Club facsimile of the manuscripts for the poem. [Rare PR 3627 A1 1962]
An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot. London: Printed by J. Wright for Lawton Gilliver at Homer's Head in Fleetstreet,1734. [Rare PR 3630 E6 1734]
Griffith 352. This title is the first separate issue of the poem. Griffith dates it as January 2, 1734/5 (on the old calendar, 1734; on the new calendar, 1735. Old-style "Lady Day" calendars begin the year on March 25th.
Letters of Mr. Pope, and several eminent persons: from the year 1705, to 1711.London: Printed and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1735. [Rare PR 3633 A5 1735]
Griffith 378? This edition, issued in 1735, is distinguished amongst the other editions of Pope's letters published in that year by NOT being issued by Edmund Curll.
The New Dunciad: as it was found in the year 1741.With the illustrations of Scriblerus, and Notes Variorum. London: Printed for T. Cooper at the Globe in Pater-noster Row, 1742. [Rare PR 3625 A1 1742]
Griffith 546. This is the first edition of Book IV of the Dunciad.
Gay, John, 1685-1732
Trivia:, or, The art of walking the streets of London. To which is added rural sports. A poem inscribed to Mr. Pope. Dublin: S. Powell for George Risk, 1727. [Rare PR 3473 T7 L5 1727]
This poem to Pope is one of the few items held in RBSC by Gay that was published during Gay's lifetime.
Plays... The captives, a tragedy. The Beggar's Opera. Polly, or The second part of the Beggar's Opersa. Achilles, an opera. The distress'd wife, a comedy. The rehearsal at Gotham, a farce: to which is prefixed An account of the life and writings of the author. London: Printed for W. Strahan [et al]., 1772. [Rare PR 3473 A1 1772]
This is a nice example of a posthumous collection of Gay's plays, including The Beggar's Opera and Polly.
Fables by John Gay: with a life of the author and embellished with seventy plates. London: Printed for John Stockdale, Piccadilly, 1793. [William Blake Collection PR 3473 F3 1793ba]
Gay's Fables were popular enough to be re-issued multiple times over the next century. This copy boasts twelve plates by William Blake.
Hogarth, William, 1697-1764. "The Beggar's Opera" by Hogarth and Blake: a portfolio compiled by Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis and Philip Hofer. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965. [William Blake Collection Oversize Flat ND 497 H7 L4].
The plates in this set are reproductions of Hogarth's seven versions of his picture illustrating Act 3, Scene 11, air 55 of Gay's The Beggar's Opera, with three reproductions of the 1st and 4th states of Blake's engraving after the Duke of Leeds version, and including a modern restrike of the 4th state. Issued in portfolio.
Swift, Jonathan, 1667-1745
Temple, Willliam, Sir, 1628-1699. Letters written by Sir W. Temple, bart., and other ministers of state, both at home and abroad. Containing, an account of the most important transactiosn that pass'd in Christendom from 1665 to 1672. Review'd by Sir W. Temple sometime before his death: and published by Jonathan Swift. London: Printed for J. Tonson..., 1700. [Rare D 274 T279]
---. Letters to the king, the Prince of Orange, the chief ministers of state, and other persons.By Sir W. Temple, Bart., being the third and last volume. Published by Jonathan Swift. London: Printed for T. Goodwin.., 1703 [Rare DA 447 T2 A3 1703].
Teerink 469-472. These titles were edited by Swift, with the third volume published separately.
A Tale of A Tub. Written for the universal improvement of mankind... to which is added, an account of a battel between the antient and modern books in St. James's Library… 2nd ed. corr. London: Printed for J. Nutt, 1704. [PR 3724 T3 1704A]
Teerink 218.
A Tale of A Tub. Written for the universal improvement of mankind... to which is added, an account of a battel between the antient and modern books in St. James's Library... The 5th ed. With the author's apology and explanatory notes. By W. W--tt--n, B.D. and others. London: Printed for John Nutt, 1710. [Rare PR 3724 T3 1710]
The 1710 edition (Teerink 222) is the first to include the "Author's apology" and Wotton's notes.
Bavcis and Philemon: a poem on the ever-lamented loss of the two yew-trees, in the parish of Chilthorne, near the county-town of Somerset. Together with Mrs. Harris's earnest petition: and an admirable recipe. By the author of The tale of a tub. As also And ode upon solitude: by the Earl of Roscommon. London: Printed, and sold by H. Hilles, in Blackfryars, near the water-side, 1710. [Rare PR 3722 H5x 1710].
Teerink 522 (another state). This is one of several states of separately issued poems by Swift. The remaining copies of this edition were combined in 1717 with other titles, to form several miscellaneous volumes with titles like A Collection of the Best English Poetry.
Travels into several remote nations of the world. In four parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, first a surgeon and then a captain of several ships.London: Printed for Benj. Motte, at the Middle Temple-Gate in Fleet-Street, 1726. [Rare PR 3724 G7 1726].
Teerink 289, the "A" edition. This is the first edition, first issue of Gulliver's Travels. The first item ever printed on the Common Press at NIU was a facsimile of this title page.
The Intelligencer... no. 1-20. [2nd ed.] London: Printed for Francis Cogan, at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet Street. 1730. [Rare AP3 I6 1730]
Teerink 35. Published by Swift and Sheridan.
The Hibernian Patriot: Being a collection of the drapiers letters to the people of Ireland, concerning Mr. Wood's brass half-pence, together with considerations on the attempts made to pass that coin, and reasons for the people of Ireland's refusing it: to which are added, poems and songs relating to the same subject. Printed at Dublin: [s.n.]; London: Reprinted and sold by A. Moor..., 1730. [Rare HG 950 I8 S854X 1730].
Teerink 22. The second collected edition of Swift's Drapiers' Letters.
Bolingbroke, Henry St. John, Viscount, 1678-1751. Letters of Lord Bolingbroke to Dr. Jonathan Swift. Glasgow: R. Urie, 1752. [Rare DA 501 B6 A48X]
Teerink 84. This title also includes letters from Swift and Pope to Bolingbroke.
Curll, Edmund, 1675-1747.
Jacob, Giles, 1686-1744. Memoirs of the life and writings oft he Right Honourable Joseph Addison, esq.: with his character by Sir Richard Steele, and a copy of his last will and testament. 2nd ed. London: Printed for E. Curll, 1724 [Rare PR 3306 J32]
Marvell, Andrew, 1621-1678.The Works of Andrew Marvell Esq. London: Printed for E. Curll, over against Catherine-Street in the Strand, 1726. [Rare PR 3546 A1 1726]
These two titles were published by Edmund Curll, who was a Grub Street printer notorious for on occasion creating and publishing fictional correspondence, wills, and memoirs, as well as for his ongoing feud with Pope. Curll is singled out in the Dunciad for his publication practices.
Rochester, John Wilmot, Earl of, 1647-1680.
Poems on several occasions: with Valentinian; a tragedy. Written by the Right Honourable John, late earl of Rochester. London: Printed for J. Tonson, 1705. [Rare PR 3669 R2 1705]
Poems on several occasions: with Valentinian; a tragedy. To which is added, Advice to a painter. Written by the Right Honourable John, late earl of Rochester. London: Printed by H. Hills, and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, 1710. [Rare PR 369 R2 P6 1710A].
Rare Books and Special Collections does not hold editions of Rochester's works published during his lifetime (these are exceedingly scarce, as Rochester's work was considered obscene, and very little was published during his lifetime). These bowdlerized reprints attest to his continuing popularity into the 18th century.
Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689
Fontenelle, M. de (Bernard Le Bovier), 1657-1757. The History of Oracles, and the Cheats of the Pagan Priests. In two parts. Made English. London: 1688. [Rare BF 1761 F63]
This book was translated by Aphra Behn. It is the only title held in Rare Books that was published in her lifetime. We also own an 18th century edition of Behn's Plays.
Montagu, Mary Wortley, Lady, 1689-1762
Letters of the Right Honourable Lady M--y W----y M----e: Written, during her travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, to persons of distinction, Men of Letters, &c. in different parts of Europe. Which contain, among other curious relations, accounts of the policy and manners of the Turks; Drawn from sources that have been inaccessible to other travellers. 3rd ed. Dublin: Printed for P. Wilson, J. Hoey, Junior, and J. Potts, Booksellers, 1765. [Rare DA 501 M7 A26 1765]
Another ed: London: Printed for S. Payne, A. Cook, and H. Hill, 1767. [Rare DA 501 M7 A26 1767A]
The poetical works of the right honourable Lady M---y W----y M-----e. London: Printed for J. Williams, 1768. [Rare PR 3604 A17 1768]
