[Rarebooks] FS - Rowlandson aquatints, 1818

[GREENFIELD BOOKS]

BURTON, Alfred [John Mitford]. /THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY NEWCOME IN THE 
NAVY; A POEM, IN FOUR CANTOS: with Plates by Rowlandson, from the 
Author's Designs./ Bound in period 3/4 leather over marbled boards. W. 
Simpkin and R. Marshall, London. 1818. 1st edition. Smaller 8vo, pp. 
259. Boards quite worn, rubbed & scuffed. Some off-setting of plates. 
Stain to center of first 25 pages; else g/vg condition.

The author's name, Alfred Burton, is a pseudonym of John Mitford (aka 
Alfred Thornton), a colorful British writer of the early 19th century 
who published most of his work anonymously. According to the website of 
The Corbey Poets Project at The University of Nebraska, Mitford was a 
frequent contributor to the literary periodicals of the day, and is said 
to have been an editor of a number of journals. The DNB describes 
Mitford (1782-1831) as a "miscellaneous writer" who entered the navy in 
1795 and who, in 1814, took to journalism, became a drunkard, and fell 
into poverty. British Authors of the NineteenthCentury says he entered 
the navy as a midshipman, and was present at the Battle of the Nile, 
deserting in 1801, "but as he was most untrustworthy and told many 
incredible tales, the history of his naval experience is uncertain". 
While living in poverty in London, he wrote for "The Scourge". It was 
said that "the only way his publisher could compel him to write his 
narrative poems of the sea was to limit him to a shilling a day - 
twopence for bread, cheese, and an onion, the rest for gin." "Mitford 
was utterly untruthful, dissapated, and half-crazy, but his earlier 
poems at least are racy tales in verse written with a flowing ease." 
Binder's ticket on top left of front pastedown, just above armorial 
bookplate of "Greaves". With Notes and errata page at end, and sixteen 
hand-coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson. The Rowlandson plates are 
suitably ribald and in generally very good condition.

Price: $350.00.  (#6967)

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