Books and Manuscripts

David Garrick's Copy

(Brome, Alexander)
Rump: or an Exact Collection of the Choycest Poems and Songs Relating to the Late Times…
London: Printed for Henry Brome, and Henry Marsh, 1662. From the library of English actor and playwright David Garrick, and with his book-plate on front paste-down. 8vo. (viii), 376, 200 (but 190) pp.; lacking half-title. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece and an additional engraved title-page. Full contemporary sheep, stamped in blind, later paper spine label, possibly recased, boards rubbed and worn; all edges trimmed; contemporary inscription on verso of front free endpaper; contemporary ink scrawl on verso of frontispiece; contemporary ownership signature on title-page and at top of A3; engraved title trimmed close to ruled border; scattered light spotting to text. Pforzheimer 842; Grolier, Wither to Prior 763

David Garrick's copy of this collection of satirical poems and songs aimed at the government of Oliver Cromwell. Garrick (1717-1779) was an English actor, playwright, and manager of the Drury Lane Theatre. Widely considered one of the greatest actors of the 18th century, he is synonymous with his roles portraying figures from the works of Shakespeare and is remembered for his performances of Richard III, Romeo, King Lear, and Macbeth. Fittingly, his book-plate is capped with an engraved bust of Shakespeare.

“The present work is rather a new collection than a second edition of that which was published under the same name in 1660. The same engraved frontispiece is used, and the address to the reader is copied; but it contains two hundred and eight pieces against only forty-eight in the first collection. The volume is usually said to have been edited by Alexander Brome. Twelve of the poems contained in it were included among his poems first published in 1661, and twenty are taken from the works of John Cleveland.” (Grolier)