Beschreibung
London: John Russell Smith. 8vo. Hardcover. No dust jacket as issued. Bound in deep purple cloth with blind embossed boards. Modern black morocco title stamp on spine with gilt lettering. Tight binding and solid boards. Minor shelf wear. Slight bumping to corners. Minor rubbing to boards and spine. Clean, unmarked pages. Frontispiece is an engraved portrait of Sir Thomas Overbury, protected by tissue guard. Sir Thomas Overbury was an English poet and essayist, and the victim of one of the most sensational crimes in English history. His poem A Wife, which depicted the virtues that a young man should demand of a woman, played a large role in the events that precipitated his murder. About the year 1601, being in Edinburgh on a holiday, Overbury met Robert Carr, then an obscure page to the Earl of Dunbar; and so great a friendship was struck up between the two youths that they came up to London together. Both proceeded to rise in the royal ranks and do well for themselves. Early in 1611 the Court became aware of the mutual attraction between Carr and the infamous and youthful countess of Essex, who seemed to have bewitched the handsome Scots adventurer. To this intrigue Overbury was from the first violently opposed, pointing out to Carr that an indulgence in it would be hurtful to his preferment, and that the woman, even at this early stage in her career, was already "noted for her injury and immodesty." The poem, A Wife, was composed by Overbury to attempt to convey to his friend the qualities that the Countess lacked, but this only angered her, leading to greater tensions, and Overbury being thrown in the Tower of London on April 22, 1613 for his supposed arrogance. Not pleased with simply having him locked away, the Countess had his food poisoned, killing him shortly thereafter. This exceptional volume contains not only works of Sir Thomas Overbury, but also elegies and rememberances from fellow artists and peers. An exceptionally preserved volume in very good condition. Ships daily. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 1108150009
Verkäufer kontaktieren
Diesen Artikel melden
