The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality

London, England: Printed for A. Millar in the Strand and R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, 1750. Hardcover. Fair. 12mo 7" - 7. An early reprint of a justifiable classic in English religion and moral philosophy in the form of verse. The title page continues: "To which is added, A Paraphrase on Part of the Book of JOB." The author, Edward Young (1633-1765), was a famous, influential literary light, an English poet, critic and philosopher. This work, published first in 1742, was both financially lucrative for the author and a critical success; it was translated into many different languages including "French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian, Welsh, Polish and Magyar" (Hungarian; Wikipedia). The entry for "Young, Edward," in Allibone's Critical Dictionary (1965 Gale reprint) is exceedingly lengthy regarding both his biography and circle of friends and colleagues including James Boswell; the entry notes, for example, that Edmund Burke had committed large portions of the poem to memory (Vol. III, p. 2896). Literary critics note that Night-Thoughts was rehabilitated in the memoirs of soldiers, especially from W.W.I., "as a source of comfort during time in the trenches," according to Blunden (in P. Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory). So affected was he by a prior reading of Great-Thoughts that the author of Pamela, Samuel Richardson, wrote to the bookseller and publisher A. Millar to discuss publication of a new edition of it, Millar having already purchased the copyright to an expanded version of the book in 1749. Not perhaps a lovely exemplar, but still reasonably sturdy, an eminently readable copy. Bound in a 12mo hardcover format. Measures 4 1/4" x 6 7/8" wide and tall, respectively. Bound wholly in leather, cracking to rear and a bit of the front joint, five raised bands at spine, rubbing to and scuffing of spine, chipping to spine head and foot, upper headband hanging by a thread. Fine bookplate inside front flap, that of F.P. Hodges, penned inscription opposite of William Parry, with no little flourish. Mildly toned and soiled endpapers, another penned inscription at book's final free endpaper, lightly wavy text, else clean and unmarked of interior. The black-and-white engraving at frontis by the engraver Parr is iconic as all get-out. It depicts the poet-philosopher reading ancient texts set atop gravestones in the cemetery outside church at midnight. Complete in one volume, this edition being rare (only one copy found in Worldcat dot org). 326 pp. plus several pages' worth of publisher ads from both A. Millar and R. Dodsley.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets.