Book dossier

Remarks on the life and writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift, dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin

by John Boyle Earl of Orrery

"In 1751, Remarks on the Life and Writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift, by John Boyle, Fifth Earl of Cork and Orrery, was published and immediately became a best-seller. Despite its importance as the earliest biographical account of Swift, it had not been closely studied by scholars except for A. C. Elias Jr., who was the first to ascertain which was the earliest printing of the work as well as Orrery's personal involvement with textual corrections. This volume is based on Elias's pioneering research and editor Joao Froes establishes the best text of the book, which had undergone several editions in London and Ireland, not all of which had been known.". "Froes's introduction offers a history of the composition, publication, and contemporary reception of Orrery's book, including a section that presents complete bibliographical descriptions of all the editions, their textual quality, the locations where copies of those editions can be found, their collation, and analyses of the individual editions. Also included is a section that fully describes the copies of the work extensively annotated by Orrery."--BOOK JACKET.