An Improvement of Imprisonment, Disgrace, Poverty, into Real Freedom; Honest Reputation; Perdurable Riches; Evidenced in a few Crums & Srcaps [sic] lately found in a Prisoners-Basket at Newgate; and saved together, by a Visitant of Oppressed Prisoners, for the refreshing of himself and those who are either in a worse Prison, or (who loathing the dainties of the Flesh) hunger and thirst after Righteousness.

WITHER, George.

Verlag: Printed in the Year. 1661, 1661

124pp, title within woodcut border, woodcut head-pieces, errata leaf at end. 8vo. Very minor intermittent wormhole to lower margins generally not affecting text, light browning to foot of Q1 verso, marbled endpapers, late 19th century sprinkled full calf gilt by Riviere. a.e.g. ESTC R14994; Grolier 1066; Huth 8149; Bibliotheca Anglo-Poetica 816. The turbulent career of George Wither, 1588-1667, reflects the upheavals in English history during the Jacobean, Caroline and Commonwealth periods. Imprisoned on several occasions for perceived libel, Wither became an outspoken supporter of Cromwell and the protectorate. In the last days of the Commonwealth, Wither had resided at Hambledon in Hampshire, but returned to London during the summer of 1660, where his papers were searched and the unpublished verse manuscript Vox Vulgi discovered, in which he criticised the reactionary temper of the House of Commons. He was arrested in August 1660, and committed to Newgate Prison, where he remained for three years. The present work was written and published during this period, and includes the author's own poetical accounts of what had befallen him, and pleas of innocence. According to Aubrey's Brief Lives, Wither owed his life to the intervention of Sir John Denham, after he was captured by Royalist forces in 1642. Denham apparently stated that 'Whilst G.W. lived, he [Sir John Denham] should not be the worst poet in England'. Provenance: Christie Miller (pencil note to front endpaper) 'C. & P. 12 Jan. 1875 to C.-M. Bound by Riviere 8/-'. Britwell Court, sold at Sotheby's 11th or 19th April 1924, lot 845; Fairfax of Cameron, with large armorial bookplate to front pastedown; Robert S. Pirie, with his bookplate to front endpaper. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 95435

Bibliografische Details

Titel: An Improvement of Imprisonment, Disgrace, ...
Verlag: Printed in the Year. 1661
Erscheinungsdatum: 1661
Einband: Hardcover