Works of Mr. John Oldham, Together with his Remains

London: Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh, 1684. Full Description:

OLDHAM, John. The Works of Mr. John Oldham, Together with his Remains. London: Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh, 1684-1685.

First collected edition. Four works in one octavo volume (7 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches; 185 x 115 mm). [8], 148, [8], [2, blank], 134, [2, blank], [6], 215, [1, blank], [24], 80, 83-130, [2, blank] pp. With general title and separate title-pages for each of the four books. Although there are some errors in pagination, the collation is correct and the book is complete.

Full contemporary mottled calf. Boards double-ruled in blind. Spine with "Oldham" hand-lettered in white. Small paper label with "Oldham" also hand-lettered on spine. Edges speckled brown. Some minor worming to upper inner margin from beginning through Sig. E, occasionally affecting a few letters. Old ink notes to title-page and final blank. A tiny closed tear to bottom margin of title-page not affecting text. Some dampstaining throughout. Spine with some chipping to head and tail and with some flaking. Outer joints a bit rubbed. Still a very good copy.

"Oldham was born in England in 1653. When old enough he attended Oxford University and after graduating he began a career as a teacher. Among his most well known works are 'A Satire Upon a Woman Who by Her Falsehood and Scorn Was the Death of My Friend', written in 1678 and 'A Satire Against Virtue' in 1979. He also wrote poems about, and translated some of the works of Juvenal, which were collected in the volume 'Poems and Translations' and published after his death. He died at the young age of thirty of smallpox. John Dryden wrote an elegy, 'To the Memory of Mr. Oldham', which lamented on his death at such a young age and his unfulfilled potential as a poet." (All Poetry dot com). The Elegy by Dryden can be found in this copy.

Wing O-224 .

HBS 69098.

$500.