Gnothi Seauton Know Self Poem by John Arbuthnot (2 results)

Unbound. Condition: Very Good. None (illustrator). First edition. The very scarce first edition of the only recorded individually published poem by Scottish physician, satirist and polymath Dr. Arbuthnot. A very scarce first edition. The first and only edition of this work.The title of the work is transliterated from the Greek, and translates to 'know yourself' in English.Leaves trimmed to tail, obscuring the 'six pence' from the title page tail, but not affecting further words.ESTC. T40856Arbuthnot is best remembered for his contributions to mathematics, and for being an early member of the Scriblerus Club. Unbound, as issued. Leaves significantly trimmed to tail, obscuring price to title page tail, but not affecting further text. Leaves further trimmed to head and fore edge, not affecting text. A touch of spotting to tail of title page. Light tide mark to tail of final leaf. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright, and clean. Very Good. book.

4to, pp. [iv], 8; disbound. First and only edition. An important poem by John Arbuthnot (1667-1735), close friend of Swift and Pope, author of the John Bull satires and one of the original Scriblerians. This seems to be the only separately-published poem which can be attributed with certainty to Arbuthnot: it was included in Dodsley's miscellany in 1748 as his, and indeed a manuscript survives in his hand, among the papers of the Countess of Suffolk in the British Library (Add MS 22625). The prefatory advertisement states that the poem was 'wrote several Years ago', and adds that as it 'cannot hurt the Reputation of the Author, though he should be known, I have given it to my Bookseller to publish'. One wonders who contributed this note - could it possibly have been Pope himself? Foxon A290. ESTC locates copies in eighteen libraries, not a large number for such a work at this date.