"THEY HAVE MUCH LITERARY AND BIOGRAPHICAL IMPORTANCE": FIRST EDITION OF DONNE'S LETTERS TO SEVERALL PERSONS OF HONOUR, 1651

DONNE, John. Letters to Severall Persons of Honour. London: Printed by J. Flesher for Richard Marriot, 1651. Small quarto, contemporary full dark brown calf rebacked, boards with gilt central devices, raised bands, tan morocco spine label. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $13,500.

First edition, first issue, with engraved frontispiece portrait of Donne by Pieter Lombart, and woodcut initials, in contemporary calf boards.

"The great majority of those of Donne's letters that have survived have been preserved through the energy of his son… In 1651, the younger Donne issued a volume containing 129 Letters to Severall Persons of Honour; these letters were not 'edited' by him according to the standards of the present day, as, although printed with reasonable care, their arrangement is irregular and they are for the most part without dates. Nevertheless, they have much literary and biographical importance" (Keynes, 133). Among the recipients are Lord Herbert of Cherbury, the Countess of Bedford, and, most numerously, Sir Henry Goodere. Bound without front and rear blanks. Keynes 55. Wing D1864. Wither to Prior 296. Pforzheimer 295. Engraved bookplate.

Pages with a bit of marginal wormholing near the end not affecting text, otherwise fine, inner hinges neatly reinforced; contemporary calf boards very handsome. An excellent copy.