Author: HAYLEY (William):
Title: An Essay on History; In Three Epistles To Edward Gibbon, Esq. With Notes.
Description: London: Printed for J. Dodsley..., 1780. FIRST EDITION. 4to, 270 x 210 mms., pp. [ii], [1 - 3] - 159 [160 blank], rebound in quarter calf, preserving old marbled boards, gilt spine, red morocco label, marbled boards. Original end-paper preserved with bookplate of Studely Priority, the contemporary bookplate "Scotstoun" on the front paste-down end-paper, and the autograph "Mr Oswald Scotstoun," of whom there were several, but the volume possibly belonged to James Oswald (1703 - 1793), the Church of Scotland minister and philosophical writer. It is not exactly clear when Hayley (1745 - 1820) met Gibbon, but they were sufficiently friendly in October 1781 for Gibbon to write to him saying, "Accept, my dear Sir, my kindest Wishes for yourself, and your amiable Eliza!--The delightful Scenes of Eartham are still present to my Mind, and many Days will roll away, before I shall find, in the tumult of the World, those pleasures, which I enjoyed in the familiar Society of the best English Poet of the Age...." Reviewing the poem, The Monthly Review said, "We are happy to find this new star in the poetical hemisphere, whose appearance we noted with so much pleasure, continues to shine with, if possible, increasing splendour" (Monthly Review, 1980, p. 30). [One does wonder how a star can appear in a hemisphere.] When William Cowper read the poem more than a decade later, he wrote to the author, "I began your fine Poem on History this morning, and already perceive that I am reading for my humiliation."

Keywords: poetry History literature


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