The Divina Commedia, by DANTE ALIGHIERI - 1802: consisting of the Inferno-Purgatorio-and Paradiso. Translated into English verse, with preliminary essay, notes, and illustrations, by the Rev. Henry Boyd. In three volumes.

London: Printed by A. Strahan, for T. Cadell Jun. and W. Davies,, 1802. Dante's English reputation restored First complete edition in English of the Divine Comedy and the first publication in English of the Purgatorio and the Paradiso; the Inferno here in its fourth appearance in English, following the first edition of 1782 and the Dublin and London editions by Boyd in 1785. This complete edition helped "re-establish an audience for Dante, whose reputation had suffered a decline in the previous century" (ODNB). The translator, the Church of Ireland clergyman Henry Boyd (1748/9-1832), stamped his own character on this text with a lengthy introductory preface and an historical essay, the latter in addition to his translation of Leonardo Bruni's Life of Dante. Boyd celebrates Dante as an original genius whose reputation had been unjustly diminished by unimaginative laws of criticism dominated by the French propensity to "cast a damp upon original invention". Interestingly, Boyd attempts to associate the resurgence of Dante with the contemporary rise of radical thought and politics "in this age of enlightened reason and adventurous discovery" (vol. I, p. 1). Three volumes, octavo (229 x 142 mm). Contemporary half calf, smooth spines lettered and tooled in gilt, marbled sides. Vol. I with stipple-engraved frontispiece portrait, engraved by R. H. Cromek after T. Stothard. Bound without half-titles. Very light shadow of bookplates to front pastedowns, early signature "Beck" to front free endpaper of vol. I. Joints and extremities neatly restored, 55 mm closed tear to fore edge of B1 into text without loss, light spotting. A very good copy. Fiske Catalogue of the Dante Collection vol. I, p. 43; Lowndes, vol. I., p. 589.