George BerkeleyBiblio.com
A Character of King Charles the Second:
1750175832London: for J. and R. Tonson and S. Draper 1750. Presented to and initialled by the Enlightenment thinker George Berkeley First edition presentation copy to the idealist philosopher George Berkeley inscribed by the Countess of Burlington on the initial binder's blank "To the Bishop of Cloyne from his most humble servant D. Burlington" and with Berkeley's ownership initials George Cloyne to the title page. Dorothy Countess of Burlington 1699-1758 was the granddaughter of Halifax a leading statesman of Charles II's time. She owned several manuscripts from Halifax which were edited here for publication by Alexander Pope. She was one of Queen Caroline's Ladies of the Bedchamber a patron of artists including David Garrick and Handel and a portrait painter. Berkeley was first introduced to her husband by Alexander Pope and he became close friends with them. Berkeley wrote to the Countess to thank her for the volume: "Madam Permit me to thank your Ladyship for a present very valuable in it self and much more so on account of the giver who is so good as to remember an humble servant in this remote corner; where to my sorrow I am haunted with a taste for good company and fine arts that I got at Burlington house the worst preparative in the world for a retreat at Cloyne" 2 April 1750. The volume came into the possession of the bookseller and bibliographer John Stephens 1948-2006 and has his bookplate. Stephens identified the letter and sourced a photocopy from Chatsworth House which had the original the photocopy is included as is a letter from Chatsworth sending it. He published an article on the volume and its presentation "Berkeley and Lady Burlington: A Footnote" in Berkeley Newsletter Number 12 1992 pp. 16-17. He quoted the letter and commented: "It is a rather sad letter: he may then have been depressed but worse was to happen. In February 1751 his son William died and the following October his friend Thomas Prior followed. The next year he sailed for England never to return to Ireland. Berkeley shared Burlington's interest in architecture but he had certainly not been in Burlington House since he had last been in London in 1734. It has very much the tone of someone pleasantly surprised that he should be remembered after so long an absence". Octavo 199 x 120 mm pp. 8 183 1. Contemporary mottled calf rebacked with black morocco label later double gilt rule to covers marbled endpapers red speckled edges. Bookplate to front pastedown of British modernist architect Marshall Sisson 1897-1978 alongside his pencilled signature and notes on the book on the front free endpaper verso. Covers a little worn with patches of calf infill superficial split to front inner hinge some light foxing to contents still a very good copy. ESTC T130907. unknown
Peter Harrington · Royaume-Uni1 750,00 £GB≈ 1 998,15 €
