The Poetic Works of William Cowper, with a Biographical Notice by the Rev. H. F. Cary, A.M. Two Volumes Complete in one. (HC, $12, which is 1/3 the internet price)
What a beautiful book-
Gilding on all three sides, as well as on both the front and back cover. I especially loved the man's portrait. The gilding on the spine is faded. The covers are, I assume, leather. There are areas of scuffing at the top, bottom, and side of the spine, as well as along both edges of front and back covers. The front binding is weak, the back tight. The light stain at the upper right edge of the last 100 pages gets larger toward the end of the book, but does not cover the poetry.
The pages themselves ARE WHITE! Well, to a professional book seller, they are probably not truly "white", but heck, to me they sure look white. Add to this the shininess of the gilding, and this book is a pleasure just to look at.
But is the poetry any good? People who read poetry (I am not one) still love his work. Cowper ( pronounced "cooper"), was greatly admired by both Coleridge and Wordsworth. Cowper, considered the forerunner of the Romantic poets, introduced the enthusiasm for an English countryside. Lines of his poetry are still quoted, even though most of us don't know he wrote them. (For example, "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." or," Variety is the very spice of life."
Cowper led a troubled life, often plagued by episodes of melancholia and "insanity". He made multiple suicide attempts. His mother died when he was only six, so he was sent to boarding school where he was viciously bullied. He couldn't handle the stresses of a law career, yet left his legacy of poetry. A devout Evangelist, he was haunted by the worry that he was damned, yet composed many great hymns. He wrote about melancholia, but he was also known for his humor. His translations of Homer were famous. He never married, but nearly did so three times in his life. A complex and troubled man. Look for this book in the poetry section.
