JONATHAN SWIFT'S OWN COPY OF LITHGOW'S TRAVELS 1632

The Totall Discourse of the Rare Adventures, and Painefull Peregrinations of Long Nineteene Yeares Trauayles ... JONATHAN SWIFT'S COPY with His signature

William Lithgow

Nicholas Okes. London. 1632. 4to - 7.5 inches. One of the most significant Swift items to come on the market in recent years. With 'Jonat :Swift Oct. 1693' in ink to the top of the dedication leaf. Professor Tiffany Stern of University College, Oxford has researched this copy thoroughly and compared it in particular to three books autographed by Swift at a similar date, viz his copy of Cicero of 1589, his Pliny of 1640 and his Memoirs of Capt. John Creichton. She concludes 'Given that Swift has long been known to have had access to Lithgow's work, though up until now the actual text he read has been unidentified, the evidence is overwhelming : "Jonat: Swift" is Jonathan Swift and this is his copy of Lithgow's Totall Discourse'. We can provide the Professor's three page report and scans of similar autographs on request. The literary significance of this copy in influencing Swift in his most famous work Gulliver's Travels is clear and substantial. There are also some marginal notes which are currently being researched which may also be in Swift's hand. The book itself is bound in 20th century half vellum with marbled paper boards and gilt spine titles on a red morocco spine label. The page block is eroded at both corners with some minor loss of letters and catchwords to the first four leaves, diminishing. There is also some marginal loss to the title and the next couple of leaves. Small bookplate in the form of a roundel to the title page verso. (14), 507, (3) pages. Missing frontispiece and last leaf of index. R1 with loss to the corner affecting a couple of letters. Woodcuts to S2v, Pp3, Pp4, Ddd4v, Ccc3v, Iii1, Nnn4, and Ooo4v. Small burn hole to Z4 with loss of few letters. Paperflaw to Hh1 just affecring chapter heading. Minor stains to Xx3r leaving text legible. Woodcut on Ooo4v with a vase lightly coloured. Bound a little tight.

ONE OF SEVERAL RARE AND ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS WE HAVE FOR SALE TODAY.

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