[PUSHKIN, Aleksandr Sergeevich (contributor).]
Сѣверные цвѣты на 1825 годъ [Severnye tsvety na 1825 god, ‘Northern flowers for the year 1825’]. [Vol I (of 2)].
St Petersburg, Department of Public Education, 1825 [Moscow, Universitetskaia tip., 1881].
8vo, pp. [2], 359, [1 (blank)], [iii]-vi; faint spotting on title and in some margins, but a very good copy, in contemporary marbled boards, flat spine with gilt morocco lettering-piece; extremities and lettering-piece a little rubbed, one or two stains; occasional light pencil underlining, remains of a modern exlibris to the rear paste-down.
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Сѣверные цвѣты на 1825 годъ [Severnye tsvety na 1825 god, ‘Northern flowers for the year 1825’]. [Vol I (of 2)].
Rare nineteenth-century Moscow reprint of the exceptionally rare first issue of Northern flowers, one of the most celebrated Russian literary anthologies, edited by Pushkin’s great friend Delvig. The 1825 issue included the first appearance of four passages from part ii of Eugene Onegin, and three of Pushkin’s poems: ‘Pesn o veshchem Olege’, ‘Demon’, and ‘Proserpina’. The excerpts from Onegin were meant to prepare the public and create a large market for Pushkin’s masterpiece, which was published between 1825 and 1832. The 1825 issue also contained several fables by Krylov, and contributions by V.A. Zhukovsky, E.A. Baratynsky.
Smirnov-Sokol’skii, Russ. lit. al’manakhi i sborniki XVIII-XIX, 1118. OCLC cites two copies only: Harvard and Yale.
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[SWIFT, Jonathan.]
On Poetry: a Rapsody.
First edition. On Poetry, one of Swift’s most important productions in verse, was early recognized as a masterpiece and would have achieved considerable favour for Swift at court had not Lord Hervey ‘undeceived Q[ueen] C[aroline] and taken some pains to teach her the use and power of irony’ (Dr William King’s Political and Literary Anecdotes). The essential theme is the contrast between the true poet (Pope, Gay) and the writer dependent on patronage (e.g. Cibber).
INSCRIBED POUND, Ezra.
Quia Pauper amavi.
First edition, one of 500 ordinary copies (there were also 100 signed copies on handmade paper’, inscribed ‘Bridson / 11 April ’59 / Ezra Pound’. This work contained the first English publication of Cantos I-III, not printed in that order.