[Rarebooks] Gregory's 1789 Life of Chatterton

[Joslin Hall Rare Books, ABAA]

Gregory, G[eorge].  THE LIFE OF THOMAS CHATTERTON, with Criticisms on his 
Genius and Writings, and a concise view of the Controversy concerning 
Rowley's Poems.

London; G. Kearsley: 1789.

"The following pages were composed at the request of the respectable editor 
of the Biographia Britannica, in order to be inserted in that valuable 
work.  The author, however, requested leave to print off a small edition, 
in a separate state, for the accommodation and satisfaction of a few 
friends...".

George Gregory, a prolific writer and editor, claims to lay out the 
controversy without favor to either side, but seems to distinctly doubt 
Rowley's existence.  Thomas Chatterton is perhaps the best known 
author/charlatan whose fakery turned to abject tragedy.  As a 17 year-old 
unknown in 18th century England Chatterton thought, probably correctly, 
that he would not be able to get anyone to pay much attention to his poetic 
efforts, so he invented a 15th century monk named Thomas Rowley to whom he 
attributed his poems.

Chatterton took a very serious approach to his work, writing his poems 
first in 18th century English, and then painstakingly "translating" them, 
with the help of several Anglo-Saxon dictionaries, into 15th century 
English before carefully transcribing them onto old parchment.  It was the 
"translating" that tripped him up, the forgery was soon detected and 
denounced, and a despondent Chatterton committed suicide.

Since his work showed him to have had prodigious talent and promise, this 
final act probably robbed the literary world of a great poet; and to this 
day he has a devoted group of fans.

This title includes a very interesting bibliography, perhaps the first ever 
published, of Chatterton's Rowley works and other books concerning them; it 
also contains what Gregory describes as a "poem from a manuscript of 
Chatterton, (which) the editor believes has never before been presented to 
the Public"...it is 'The Art of Puffing, by a Bookseller's Journeyman'. ouch.

Hardcover.  5.5"x8.5", v + 263 pages, LACKS the engraved plate of 
Chatterton's handwriting, and priced accordingly; bound in nice 18th or 
early 19th century full leather with raised bands, floral gilt decorations 
on the spine, and a quilted design with gilt rules blindstamped on the 
front and rear boards; armorial bookplate; a fairly clean copy with 
sporadic light foxing and nice wide margins. [05468]  $250.00

<http://www.joslinhall.com/images03/th-05468.jpg>


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