Observations on Poetry, Especially the Epic: Occasioned by The Late Poem upon Leonidas
by PEMBERTON (Henry):
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
LONDON, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed by H. Woodfall. Sold by J. Brotherton.., 1738. FIRST EDITION. Small 8vo, 168 x 103 mms., pp. [iv[ v - xii [xiii - xiv errata], 167 [168 blank], including half-title, attractively bound in later 18th century sprinkled calf, gilt border on covers, spine ornately gilt in compartments (but a bit rubbed), red leather label. A very good copy. Pemberton (16941771) is remembered mostly for his work in mathematics and physics and his book on Newton, A View of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy (1728). This work was reviewed in two continental journals, in the May and June issues of The History of the Works of the Learned for 1738; and in the July-August-September, 1740, issue (pp. 215 - 222) of the Bibliothèque Raisonnée. The former work devotes 13 pages to Observations on Poetry, most of it consisting of long quotations from the text, but about the closest endorsement of its value is a throwaway remark: "[I] could produce many other Specimens of Dr. Pemberton's Sentiment and Stile in this Treatise, which would, I believe, be very grateful to the Reader...." The reviewer in the Bibliothèque Raisonné was rather more enthusiastic: "Voilà qui est bien glorieux pour Mr. Glover; sur tout venant de la part de Mr. Pemberton, Homme d'esprit, savant & Philosophe." Honeyed words indeed, but the reviewer continues in this fashion: "Et à dire le vrai, la Pièce est trop bien écrite, & trop curieuse, pour n'y pas reconnoitre la main d'un très habile homme, quand même elle seroit anonyme.... Il entre en tout cela beaucoup de discussion, mais exacte & serrée, sans inutilités & sans verbiage. L'Auteur quie pense lui-même, ne paroît avoit écrit que pour des Lecteurs qui pensent & qui réfléchissent. Ce n'est pas que son stile ne soit très pur & tres elegant, & que part cet endroit par consequent la lecture de cette Pièce ne soit très agréable. Mais on y dit d'ordinaire tant de choses en si peu de paroles, qu'il y a rarement des endroits oû l'attentntion ne soit pas occupée. D'ailleurs, Mr. Pemberton y tient bien parole."
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Details
- Bookseller
- John Price Antiquarian Books (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 9028
- Title
- Observations on Poetry, Especially the Epic: Occasioned by The Late Poem upon Leonidas
- Author
- PEMBERTON (Henry):
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- London: Printed by H. Woodfall. Sold by J. Brotherton.., 1738
- Keywords
- aesthetics literary criticism prose
- Bookseller catalogs
- aesthetics;
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About the Seller
John Price Antiquarian Books
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LONDON
About John Price Antiquarian Books
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- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Gilt
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- First Edition
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