Donne, John | The first collected edition of the greatest of all the metaphysical poets

Donne, John

Poems By J.D. With Elegies on the Authors Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633

4to (190 x 137 mm). With the two-leaf gathering 2A containing "The Printer to the Understanders" and "Hexastichon Biblioplæ" by Marriot inserted after A4, 3 woodcut initials; title with lower corner renewed and extensive early pen trials overall, penwork also on A3, first three leaves washed, lacking the preliminary and terminal blanks, occasional dampstaining and dust soiling. Modern paneled calf antique.

First collected edition of the greatest of all the metaphysical poets and the editio princeps for virtually all of Donne's poems. This edition was based on manuscripts derived from the author's archives and provided the best seventeenth-century text of Donne's poems, although six further editions would appear by 1669. First, uncancelled state of Nn1, with the recto set without running head and with thirty-five lines of text.

REFERENCES:

STC 7045; ESTC S121864; Grolier/Donne 81; Grolier/English 25; Grolier/Langland to Wither 71; Grolier/Wither to Prior 286; Hayward 54; Keynes, Donne 78; Pforzheimer 296

PROVENANCE:

Louis Auchincloss (bookplate), 1917-2010, American novelist and essayist