[BOUND TO SIZE] OBSERVATIONS ON THE THREE FIRST VOLUMES OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH POETRY. IN A FAMILIAR LETTER TO THE AUTHOR

London: J. Stockdale; R. Faulder, 1782. First Edition. Half Leather. Very Good+ binding. 8vo.; in an attractive later binding of red half-goat over marbled boards with raised bands, with morocco label lettered vertically; with marbled endpapers; [2], 49, [1] pages.~~A note on this rather interesting binding: we assume that the binder was charged with binding a group of different books to a uniform size -- the title page is trimmed and mounted, and all the other leaves are folded neatly to fit, the bottom edge and then the leading edge over it. Rather astonishing, actually.~~This is Ritson’s first book, in which he attacks Thomas Warton’s History of English Poetry in such vitriolic tones -- Warton is a pretender, a cheater and a liar -- as to cause quite a contretemps in late 18th century English literary circles. One assumes this actually pleased Ritson as he went on the next year to attack Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. Eventually, Ritson went complete mad, barricading himself in his rooms at Gray’s Inn and setting fire to a pile of manuscripts. Very Good+ binding. (Inventory #: 298728)