Unpublished Verses by Algernon Charles Swinburne [1866 ].

Swinburne, A.C.

Published by A piracy of uncertain date, possibly 1888, by Richard Herne Shepherd, 1888

About this Item

Single 4to sheet folded to make 2 leaves, 8vo, iv pp. According to T.J. Wise and W.R. Nicoll in 'Literary Anecdotes of the Nineteenth century', this is 'A simple piracy, and was printed at the instance of the late Richard Herne Shepherd, possibly in March, 1888'. While Wise is known to have attempted to shift responsibility for many of his own unauthorised printings onto Shepherd, Barker and Collins, in 'A Sequel to an Enquiry.' provide interesting further detail and conclude that this is indeed a Shepherd piracy. but also that copies were taken over from Shepherd as a speculation by Wise and Forman. The Enquirers had learned from the bookseller Herbert Gorfin that Wise had sold 15 copies of 'Unpublished Verses' to Gorfin in April 1910. Wise and Nicoll had also recorded in Literary Anecdotes (1897) that 'One gentleman still holds a parcel of something like sixty copies which he bought from Mr Shepherd for twenty-five shillings, Mr Shepherd having pressed him to purchase them as a favour to himself.' Barker & Collins draw attention also to a 'remarkable' but 'apparently erroneous' note on a copy of 'Unpublished Verses' that appeared in a Sotheby's catalogue of 11 March 1915, which read 'These verses were originally intended for Poems and Ballads, second series, but the MS sheet was mislaid. The MS afterwards came into the possession of Mr Wise, who had 50 copies printed for presentation. Mr Wise tells a very different story to the above'. Curiouser and curiouser. Slightly fingersoiled and a little darkened at edges, Good. Seller Inventory # ABE-60760

Bibliographic Details

Title: Unpublished Verses by Algernon Charles ...

Publisher: A piracy of uncertain date, possibly 1888, by Richard Herne Shepherd

Publication Date: 1888

Binding: Soft cover

Edition: 1st Edition