Swiftiana From the Library of Maurice Johnson of Spalding
SWIFT, Jonathan, attributed author.
The Wonderful Wonder of Wonders; being an accurate Description of the Birth, Education, Manner of Living, Religion, Politics, Learning, &c. of mine A–se …. With a Preface, and some new Notes, explaining the most Difficult Passages … The fourth Edition. London, ‘Printed from the original Copy from Dublin’, T. Bickerton, 1721.
[bound after:]
[CAREY, Henry.] A learned Dissertation on Dumpling; its Dignity, Antiquity, and Excellence. With a Word upon Pudding … The second Edition. London, J. Roberts, and sold by the Booksellers, 1726.[and with:]
SWIFT, Jonathan, attributed author. Memoirs of the Life of Scriblerus …. London, ‘Printed from the original Copy from Dublin’, A. Moore, 1723.[and with:]
SWIFT, Jonathan, attributed author. A Supplement to Dean Sw—t’s Miscellanies: by the Author … London, A. Moore, 1723.[and with:]
SWIFT, Jonathan. Cadenus and Vanessa. A Poem … The fourth Edition. London, N. Blandford, and sold by J. Peele, 1726.[and with six others.]
Eleven works in one vol., Wonder: pp. x, [3]–16, with a half-title; woodcut headpieces and initials; Carey: pp. [2], 25, [7]; Memoirs: pp. 27, [1], D5 bound in error after the title, without half-title if required; Supplement: pp. 32, with a half-title; woodcut headpieces and initials; Cadenus: pp. 31, [1]; woodcut headpieces and initials; very good copies; bound together with six other related works in contemporary panelled speckled calf, front joint worn, headcap partly chipped, spine gilt in compartments, morocco label; several title-pages with ownership inscription ‘J Johnson’, large engraved armorial bookplate to front pastedown of Maurice Johnson (with 2 pp. manuscript index of contents in his hand), nineteenth-century book-label of ‘Works of, or relating to Jon: Swift’, signed F. Grant, with his notes dated 1896; purchased note of 1902 signed ‘M. E. W'.
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The Wonderful Wonder of Wonders; being an accurate Description of the Birth, Education, Manner of Living, Religion, Politics, Learning, &c. of mine A–se …. With a Preface, and some new Notes, explaining the most Difficult Passages … The fourth Edition.
A fine tract volume, including a scatological companion-piece to The Benefit of Farting, Henry Carey’s satirical Dissertation on dumplings and pudding, and a scarce Scriblerian biography, from the library of Maurice Johnson (1688–1755), founder of the Spalding Gentleman’s Society and the Society of Antiquaries, and a friend of Pope, Addison, and Arbuthnot.
Memoirs of the Life of Scriblerus (1723) is not the same text as that by Pope and Arbuthnot which was first published in 1741 but had its genesis in the meetings of the Scriblerus Club in 1713–4; it does however share at least one significant plot point and a repeated interest in the number seven, suggesting it might have been the work of another member, or at the very least that its satire relied on first-hand knowledge of the Club’s conversations. It is almost certainly not by Swift, though it is attributed to him on the title-page.
The lawyer and antiquary Maurice Johnson (1688–1755) was part of the circle around William Stukeley that began meeting at a London coffee house to discuss British history, which would eventually result in the re-establishment of the Society of Antiquaries in 1717. Also a member of the group surrounding Addison, Pope, Steele, and Gay which met at Button’s Coffee House, he founded the country’s oldest provincial learned society, the Spalding Gentleman’s Society, in 1712. ‘As the society grew it established a substantial library, a museum, and a physic garden, but its survival depended very much on the energetic efforts of Johnson. He encouraged his friends to correspond with the society and to send material for its meetings. Honorary members included John Gay, Alexander Pope, Sir Hans Sloane, Sir Isaac Newton’ (ODNB). The Society’s early minutes record that ‘sundry pieces by Swift, Prior, Arbuthnot, Eusden, Young, Gay, and Pope, were read as they came out’ (William Moore, The Gentleman’s Society at Spalding, 1851), plausibly including some of the present pamphlets.
I: ESTC N25032, Teerink-Scouten 906. II: ESTC T165707 (8 copies) see Teerink-Scouten 923: includes ‘Namby Pamby’ – satire on Ambrose Phillips by Carey or Swift. III : ESTC T39150. IV : ESTC T48929 (8 copies). V : ESTC T19813; Foxon S824; Teerink-Scouten 658.
A full list of contents is available on request.