The Iliad of Homer. Translated by Alexander Pope. Glasgow: R.Urie for Daniel Baxter, 1754, 12mo/8vo.
An absolutely stunning set of the famous Alexander Pope translation into English of Homer's Iliad in notably excellent condition, complete with a foldout map and three further foldout plates throughout the set. This is a very rare edition for which we could only trace individual volumes having been sold rather than the full set as present here in four volumes, containing all 24 books of Homer's Iliad with a substantial index bound in at the rear of the fourth volume.
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Provenance:
Oliver Cooper, 1757 (ownership inscription)
Thomas Cowper Brown (1736-1816) (bookplate and ownership inscriptions), probably a relative of the famous 18th century English poet William Cowper. Interestingly, William Cowper's fascination with Homer's Odyssey and Iliad is what sparked his passion for poetry at an early age and subsequently lead to him being the most popular poet of the 18th century. The timeline matches up for this being a book in the Cowper family's possession, and so this could be one of the editions that William Cowper read.
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Size: 106 x 170 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[xxviii, pp.1-62, pp.1-341]; [pp.1-360]; [pp.1-488 (i.e. 388)]; [pp.1-342].
Probably original full calf bindings. Collated as complete, including all of the scarce foldout plates, including the particularly rare foldout bound at the end of the Essay on Homer in the first volume comprising a total of four foldouts throughout the set (including the map). Last leaf of volume three paginated as 488, but is actually page 388. The pagination of the fourth volume runs consecutively through the index with the text ending at pp.287 followed by a 3pp dedication and then the index from pp.291-342. The set shows as near fine on the shelf with the spines being extremely attractive indeed with a small amount of wear and a small bit of wormholing at the foot of the first volume's spine. Rear board of the second volume and front board of the fourth volume scuffed with some loss to the leather with the other boards very good or better, some in fine condition. Joints all fine with all boards securely attached with the bindings firm and without any shelf lean. Page edges near fine to fine. Very clean through each text block generally being internally near fine to fine. Some edge toning to endpapers as commensurate with the full calf bindings. Attached bookplate to each front pastedown with occasional ink ownership inscriptions to heads of title pages and some blanks (see the provenance section, above).
