Shelfmark
Sa1.6.09 - Sa1.6.13
Additional shelfmark
MS 413
Author
Title
The works of Thomas Gray with memoirs of his life and writings by William Mason : to which are subjoined extracts philological poetical and critical from the author's original manuscripts selected and arranged by Thomas James Mathias in two volumes.
Varying form of title
Spine title: Gray's works.
Publication, distribution, etc.
London : Printed by William Bulmer and co. Shakspeare Press for John Porter in Pall-Mall bookseller to Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte, 1814.
Physical description
2 vols. ; 38 cm. (Fo.)
Note
The "Memoirs of the life and writings of Thomas Gray" (v. 1, p. 131-493) consists largely of his letters.
Note
Pagination: 238, [1]; 239-581, [1]; vii, [1], 634 p.
Note
At end of vols. 1 and 2: "London: printed by W. Bulmer and Co. Cleveland-row, St. James's".
Formatted contents note
Contents: v. 1. Poems. Memoirs [including letters] Two translations of Gray's Elegy, the Latin by Messrs. Anstey and Roberts--the Greek by W. Cooke. Letter on the death of N. Nicholls [by T. J. Mathias] Appendix: Letters to Hon. Horace Walpole.--v. 2. Extracts: Metrum, observations on English metre; on the pseudo-rhythmus; on rhyme; and the poems of Lydgate. Extracts--poetical--miscellaneous--classical. -- Extracts geographical, relating to some parts of India and of Persia. Some account of the Dialogues and the Epistles of Plato. Appendix: Some illustrations of the Systema naturae of Linnaeus. Postscript by the editor.
Provenance
Inscription on title-page of volume 1: 'From the editor', with Dawson Turner's initials beneath. Card catalogue record states: 'This copy of the Mathias edition was presented by the editor to Dawson Turner'. Dawson Turner (1775-1858) added the Gray letters, the Norton Nicholls account of Thomas Gray, and the travel notes. Sold at the sale of Taylor's books, 1859, lot 219.
Provenance
Inscription on flyleaf: "John Dillon 1863". Dillon added some of the manuscript introductions and many engravings to the volumes. Sold by him at auction, Sotheby's June 1869.
Provenance
Armorial bookplate of Percy Morris (1867-1927), at Eton College 1881-1884. Given to Eton College Library by Morris in 1905. Percy Morris inherited the volumes from his father John Morris (1824-1905).
Provenance
Book-label of Eton College Library.
Binding
19th century half brown morocco; blue marbled paper covered boards; five raised bands; spine title: "Gray's works".
Copy-specific note
Grangerized copy with manuscript material and illustrations.
Copy-specific note
This edition of two volumes has bound in three. A further two volumes have been bound as part of this set. The first is made up entirely of manuscript material and printed illustrations. These are described in the record for Eton MS 413. The second is a sammelband of editions of Gray's works, catalogued as Sa1.6.13(01) to Sa1.6.13(06).
Copy-specific note
An additional letterpress title-page for vol. 1 part II is inserted before p. [239], not recorded in Northup's bibliography. Vol. 1 contains autograph letters from Gray, mostly to Norton Nicholls, Mason, Algarotti, James Brown, Horace Walpole and others. At the end of vol. 1, part 2 there are some leaves of notes by Gray on Walpole's Lives of the painters, and one leaf of notes on Vasari. All the letters from Gray are printed in the Toynbee-Whibley-Starr edition of his correspondence (OUP, 1935 2nd edition 1971), as are the letters from James Brown to Nicholls (Appendix W.), and Nicholls's Reminiscences of Gray (Appendix Z). A full handlist of these manuscript items is in the interleaved M.R. James catalogue of Eton's manuscript collection, MS 932, under the description for MS 413.
Copy-specific note
Letter from Edmund Gosse to John Morris dated 1884 October 28 enclosed in vol. 1, part 1, thanking Morris for the loan of the volumes, which have resulted in an appendix to Gosse's life of Gray.
Subject
Gray, Thomas, 1716 - 1771 Correspondence.
Subject
Lydgate, John, 1370? - 1451? Versification.
Subject
Poets, English Correspondence 18th century.
Subject
English language Versification.
Subject
Poets, English 18th century Correspondence.
Added entry--name
Mason, William, 1724 - 1797 associated name.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Nicholls, Norton, 1741? - 1809 associated name.
Added entry--name
Walpole, Horace, 1717 - 1797 associated name.
Added entry--name
Dillon, John former owner.
Added entry--name
Turner, Dawson, 1775 - 1858 former owner.
Added entry--name
Morris, Percy former owner.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
W. Bulmer and Co. publisher.
Added entry--place
England London.
Identifier
B26463