The British Poets: Matthew Prior.
PRIOR, Matthew.
The British Poets: Matthew Prior.
The Extra-Illustrated Crown edition of The Poems of Matthew Prior
London: British Literary Society, n.d.
$1,250.00
In Stock
Item Number: 151525
The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of Matthew Prior, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Duodecimo, two volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the front and rear panels, ivory and green floral inlays to the spine and panels, full morocco doublures elaborately decorated in gilt, silk-watered endleaves, all edges gilt, ribbons bound in, extra-illustrated with tissue-guarded hand-coloured plates. In near fine condition.
English poet and diplomat Matthew Prior (1664–1721) was a prominent figure in the Augustan literary tradition, known for his wit, stylistic refinement, and versatility across poetic forms. Educated at Cambridge and actively engaged in political and diplomatic service, Prior produced a body of work that ranged from light occasional verse and epigrams to more serious philosophical and reflective poetry. His writings often drew on classical models while maintaining a distinctly conversational tone, as seen in poems such as “An Ode: Presented to the King” and Solomon (1718). Prior’s ability to balance intellectual depth with elegance and accessibility contributed to his reputation as a polished and influential poet of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.
