Author: ROCHESTER (John Wilmot, Earl of):
Title: Familiar letters: ... Written by the Right Honourable John, late Earl of Rochester. To the Honble Henry Savile, Esq; And other Letters, by Persons of Honour and Quality. With Letters written by the most Ingenious Mr. Thomas Otway, and Mrs. K. Phillips. Publish'd from their Original Copies. With Modern Letters, by Tho. Cheek, Esq; Mr. Dennis; and Mr. Brown. The Fourth Edition, with Additions.
Description: London: Printed for Rich Wellington..., 1705. 2 volumes in one. 8vo, 164 x 97 mms., pp. [xvi], 224 [225 - 226 adverts]; [xiv], 207 [208 blank], garishly rebound in bright orange cloth, Cockerell boards, black leather label; imprint closely trimmed in volume with lost of last line and date, top margins of first six leaves slightly defective and repaired, with slight loss of text. This collection of "familiar letters" was first published in 1697 and reprinted several times in the 17th century; this 1705 edition was the first to be published in the 18th century as well as the last of the early editions of any letters by Rochester. Commenting on these four editions, Dr. Nicholas Fisher notes, "These editions, while not as sumptuous as the editions published by Jacob Tonson in 1691 and 1696, seem to have been directed at the same readership, and 'not unbecome the Cabinet of the Severest Matron': the paper is of good quality, the presswork is clear and there is a significant presence of white space in the text, with each letter, even the short notes, starting on a fresh page. Evidence of continuing public interest in Rochester's letters is provided by the inclusion of Briscoe's collection in the edition of Rochester's Works published by Tonson in 1714 and by his nephew in 1732, and in the anthology printed for Rivington and Dodsley in 1755." In my register of early books rebound unsympathetically or inappropriately, this one is jostling with others for first place. Nicholas Fisher,"The perspective of Rochester's letters" in Lord Rochester in the Restoration World (Cambridge, 2015). ESTC N8135 finds only four holding institutions for the British Isles and Ireland: Liverpool University; University of Oxford (which has two copies); University of Hull; and the V&A (National Art Library). ESTC also locates a copy in a private collection in the British Isles, but gives no details about that ownership except for a shelfmark ("Scot. 1: BH. L. A3/16(1,2)."). For North America, the ESTC finds twelve holding institutions, the University of Texas having two copies, and Yale having only a sorely imperfect copy, whose first volume lacks its title leaf.

Keywords: correspondence letters literature


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