[MOTTLEY (John), compiler]:

Joe Miller's Jests: Or, the Wits Vade-Mecum. Being a Collection of the most Brilliant Jests; the Politest Repartees; the most Elegant Bons Mots, and most pleasant short Stories in the English Language....

London: Printed and Sold by T. Read..., 1739. 8vo, 223 x 150 mms., pp. [ii], 70, 19th century quarter morocco, reddish boards (rubbed); ex-library, with a circular ownership stamp of Chas. W. Banks, San Francisco, May 21 1876 on the title-page, and the bookplate of the Ferniehield Library on the front paste-down end-paper; spine worn with joints slightly cracked, newspaper clippings removed from front free end-paper. This is not, of course, the original edition, but a 19th century facsimile; a watermark - "Michallet" is distinguishable in the lower margins of B3, C3, and D4; vertical chains are also visible, but the book is unlikely to have been printed on laid paper. This is possibly the facsimile printed by John Camden Hotten in 1862.

John Price Antiquarian BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 7252

Catalogue: Anthology

Keywords: anthology humour prose

MOTTLEY (John), compiler:

Joe Miller's Jests. Or, the Wit's Vade Mecum: Being A Collection of the most Brilliant Jests, Excellent Bon Mots, and the most pleasant short stories, in the English Language. With considerable additions. A Collection of Witty and Moral Sentences, And the most pointed and truly valuable Epigrams and Epitaphs, With the Names of the Authors, in such as are know. Inscribed to the Choice Spirits of the Age: A New Edition.

London: Printed and Published by J. Barker, Dramatic Repository, Great Russell-Street, Coven-Garden [no date] [1807]. 12mo, 190 x 108 mms., pp. [ii], [5] 6 - 164, engraved frontispiece, later full calf, gilt borders on covers, gilt spine, olive morocco label, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers; slight rubbing of front joint, but an attractive copy, with a curious inscription dated 1971. Joe Miller's Jests was first published in 1739, and there have probably been umpteen jillion later editions, along with facsimiles of the first edition offered for sale as a genuine first edition. Th work was compiled by Elijah Jenkins under the pseudonym of John Mottley. The comic actor and singer Josias Miller (1683/ - 1738) provided a name for the "jests," but very little of the material comes from him. OCLC locates only the copy in the BL.

John Price Antiquarian BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 9361

Catalogue: Humour

Keywords: humour style literature

MOTTLEY (John), compiler:

Joe Miller's Jests. Or, the Wit's Vade Mecum: Being A Collection of the most Brilliant Jests, the excellent Bon Mots, and the most pleasant short stories, in the English Language, man of them transcribed from the Mouth of the Facetious Gentleman whose Name they bear. To which are added, Choice Collections of Moral Sentences, And of the most pointed and truly valuable Epigrams in the British Tongue; With the Names of the Authors to such as are known. Most humbly Inscribed To those Choice Spirits of the Age, His Majesty's Poet-Laureat, Mr. David Garrick, Mr. The Cibber, Mr. Justice Boden's Horse, Tom Jones, the most Impudent Man living, the Rev. Mr. Henley, and Joe Baker the Kettle-Drummer. The Fourteenth Edition.

London: Printed for S. Crowder...; W. Nicol...; and J. Williams..[ no date [1772]. 12mo (in 6s), 168 x 100 mms., pp..192, engraved frontispiece, bound in later full calf, gilt rules on covers, spine ornately gilt in compartments, olive morocco label; cover a bit scratched, but a very good copy with the autograph in pencil of W. I. P. Chatto on the title-page, and the bookplates of William Turner and T. N. Abdy on the front paste-down end-paper. Joe Miller's Jests was first published in 1739, and there have probably been umpteen jillion later editions, along with facsimiles of the first edition offered for sale as a genuine first edition. The work was compiled by Elijah Jenkins under the pseudonym of John Mottley. The comic actor and singer Josias Miller (1683/ - 1738) provided a name for the "jests," but very little of the material comes from him. ESTC T63550 suggests a date of 1772 and locates copies in BL and Bodleian in this islands and McMaster in Canada and Sydney

John Price Antiquarian BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 10187

Catalogue: Humour

Keywords: humour style literature