Lot 65: DONNE, JOHN.

Poems, by J.D. with Elegies on the Authors Death. To which is added divers copies under his own hand never before in print. For John Marriot, 1650

Condition Note:

8vo, fourth edition, second issue, with the four preliminary leaves from the much rarer first issue bound as an additional gathering after the three preliminary leaves of the second issue, antique half calf, marbled boards and endpapers, lacking frontispiece portrait, without second issue preliminary blank (first issue blank present), second issue title browned at edges and frayed (no loss), four pages in second gathering heavily dust-stained, light spotting and browning throughout, a few headlines and page-numerals shaved, small rust-mark to P3, last few leaves browned at edges and brittle

Wing D1869 (and 1868); Keynes 82 (and 81); Grolier Wither to Prior 290 (and 289)

Lucy H. Matt[?], early ownership inscription on title; I.A. Shapiro, ownership inscription on front free endpaper

I.A. Shapiro's autograph notes on the front endpaper state: "This copy apparently unique. It consists of the 1649 edn of Donne's Poems (extremely rare, 5 other copies known, one imperfect) to which are prefixed the four [3] leaves (t.p. & prelims) printed in 1650 to replace those of 1649 (all present in this copy) & to convert it, together with pp.369-92 (aa-bb) inserted (as here), into the 1650 edn." Shapiro acquired this copy in 1959.