Cover:  Moroccan Leather, Heavy Decoration & Gilt

Size:  Height ~ 7 & 3/8 inches, Width ~ 5 & 1/8 in.

Publisher:  Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
                No. 13 Astor Place, New York

Pages:  649

Quantity:  1

A really lovely antique book of poetry, songs, hymns, quotes, translations and more, with memoir, by English author William Cowper;  c. 1731 - 1800.

Inside cover features a charming Christmas day inscription reading: For Lou, From Edna, Dec. 25, 1893 I wish you many merry Christmases and happy New Years.

While there is no publication date, web research of the publisher, Thomas Crowell, indicates that they occupied the Astor Place location from 1881- 1893, so we feel confident that this particular book dates to the 1880's - 1890's Victorian era.

This issue contains Cooper's noted works, including many written at Bath; Poems To Delia, plus The Task, The Doves, To Lady Austen, The Negro's Complaint (an anti-slavery work) and The Dog and The Water Lily, to list just a few.  There are some very interesting sounding selections, such as; Lines Written During A Period Of Insanity, Lines Written During The Authors Second Period Of Insanity, (this appears to be written in Latin) On The High Price Of Fish,  An Epistle To An Afflicted Protestant Lady In France, On A Gold Finch Starved To Death In His Cage and many more.  Quite a few poems and verses translated from Italian and Latin can also be found, plus a number of songs and hymns, many spiritual, including the well known Olney Hymns, which Cowper co-wrote with John Newton, author of Amazing Grace.
I read a sample of the work and found it very entertaining.  The style and use of verbiage is interesting and rather humorous, as well as oftentimes quite poignant and touching.

This book is a particularly beautiful edition, featuring rich green leather, probably Moroccan, with extensive decoration and heavy gold gilding to both spine and cover.     All exterior page edges are gold gilt.

Interior is just as elaborate, with protective tissue, beautiful engravings and red bordered pages.  There are a number of full page illustrations that I believe are steel engravings, each with their own poem or verse.

The book is in exceptionally nice antique estate condition.  We find no rips, tears, folds, creases, etc., to pages and with exception to first page inscription noted above and shown third image, we found only two very small notations to interior pages: one a small pretty arrow, plus the (very small) word; READ.  All pages present; some light tanning to edges, with an occasional rare foxing speck. A small slightly darkened area on one page where I believe a bookmark remained for a lengthy period.  Extremely minor rubbing to spine head, foot & cover corners, with minor 1/4 inch loss/rub to leather at top edge. See first and last images, apx. 12.00 o'clock.
Binding is tight and straight.  No dust jacket.

Really a very fine antique book, by a noteworthy, quite revered author.  Interesting footnote; Cowper’s father was chaplain to King George II.

In my humble opinion this lovely old book remains nice enough to be given as a gift to a special friend or family member, as it was likely originally gifted on December 25th, 1893, almost 110 years ago.

We have several similar volumes, all from the same estate and listed separately in this same category.

Antique Book ~ Cowper's Poems ~ Political Works, Complete Edition w/ Memoir, Notes, Songs, Hymns ~ Christmas 1893

$ 46.99