The Carnival of Death. A Poem, In Two Cantos.

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown..., 1822. FIRST AND ONLY EDITION. 8vo (in 4s), pp.l [iv], 122 [123 - 124 adverts], original boards, uncut; binding slightly soiled, paper label on spine, top and base of spine chipped, ex-library with City of Nottingham Public Library bookplate on front paste-down end-paper and their stamp on verso of title-page. The newspaper editor and author of several books, Thomas Bailey (1784 - 1856) began his working life with his father, a silk hosier, then became a wine merchant, and turned his hand to politics and poetry. The present work was reviewed in The Imperial magazine; or, Compendium of religious, moral and philosophical Knowledge, commenting that Bailey had commenced his task "under many disadvantages. The imagination of his readers anticipates the brilliancy of his thoughts and descriptions, and expectation grows too sanguine for the efforts of genius to gratify. On occasions like these, every man becomes a poet; and from the beams that sparkle in the vision is of a glowing but bewildered fancy, the productions of the highest order of intellect are perused with something bordering on dissatisfaction. Hence, the negative awards of critical justice, to the poet who creates or annihilates worlds, deluges the earth with water, or lights kup the final conflagration, operate with all the influence which decided approbation can impart, on occasions which nothing momentous commends. Under so peculiar and inauspicious, the author who escapes censure may be said to merit praise." Now you know.