Obobalsamum Anglicanum, An English Balme: Lately Pressed out of a Shrub, and spread upon these Papers, For The Cure of some Scabs, Gangreeves and Cancers indangering the Bodie of this Common-Wealth: and, to whom it is now tendred, by the Well-Affected Eng

by Wither, George

1st edition

Price: $650.00
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np, , 1646. 1st edition. Dsbd. Recent wrprs. . Last leaf ( 14 lines plus Wither name & "Finis" w/ "Finis" in excellent early manuscript fascimile reproducing orig. typeface. Small piece of inner margin msg. in blank area. Browning to text, scattered fxg, last full page w/ some soiling & marg. writing in bottom margin. No blanks. Gd. 8vo. . Lg. imprint at bottom of tp reads, "Printed in the Yeare, 1646." A long factual contemp. epic poem on the English C.W. and the political & military battles between King Charles I and Parliament and its forces. Opens wi/ Wither's hopes for peace dashed, General Thomas Fairfax's military victories, discussion of Parliamentary actions, the longing for reconciliation between the King & Parlaiment, etc. Following this is an imaginary address to members of Parliament about the English situation and their grievances, discussion of "the preservation of our Lives, our Lawes, Our Conscience, Liberties...", the need to preserve the British nation & be obedient to that Government which preserves "the Freedomes of the Nation", an attack on those causing discord, & the need to defend the Commonwealth. Disucusses the rise of Tyranny recently, the revival of "Old Prophesies" putting "Young-fooles in fear", much more about preserving the Commonwealth & freedom, the breaking of laws, the Strafford case, certain members of Parliament grouped together as "Gangreev'd Members", an examination of whether the King has broken the trust of Parliament, Parliament's rebellion against the Crown, much much more. Type in dbl. columns, closely written, many lines per column. George Wither (1588-1667), was a famous 17th century English poet & satirist He wrote many elegies & poems 1612 into the 1620's and was moderate in politics and religion, was commissioned by King James I to write a religious work, became more pronounced as a Puritan in the early 1630's and began writing religious poetry and controversial political tracts. Wither's "Britain's Remembrancer" was published in 1628 about London during the plague of 1625 which he witnessed & warnings of bad tidings & disasters to come from wickeness prevalent. After serving as captain of horse in 1639 in Charles I's expedition against the Scottish Covenanters at the outbreak of the English Civil War he sided with Parliament, sold his estate to raise a troop of horse, and was placed by a parliamentary committee in command of Farnham Castle. After he was captured by the Royalists after plundering Farnham Castle, it is said his life was spared due to the intervention of Sir John Denham on the grounds that so long as Wither lived, Denham could not be accounted the worst poet in England. Later Wither was appointed the rank of major, was present at the siege of Gloucester (1643) and at Naseby (1645). Later he was given an income for the loss of his property but never received the full amount. At the Restoration he was arrested and remained in prison 3 years. All of Wither's pieces are very rare and this item at the height of the English Civil War, particularly. With 2pp. of biographical material about Wither. Very rare.

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