The Remains of Henry Kirke White of Nottingham, Late of St John's College, Cambridge with An Account of His Life, By Robert Southey. In Two Volumes. **Henry B. Humphrey's Copy**

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1823 Tenth Edition. Hard cover, Octavo (5 ⅛" x 8 ½"). In full salmon pink calf "extra" binding with a broad neoclassical gilt decoration of intertwined leaves and flowers bordering both boards,stamped gilt dentelles and board edges, all edges gilt. Five raised bands to the spine enclose compartments of similar decoration, with the title and volume numbers onlaid with black calf labels. Blue paste downs with engraved bookplate of the important nineteenth-century Boston book collector, Henry B. Humphrey, with the original pencilled ref. number of the book sale catalogue of 1871. Includes the frontispiece portrait, and engraved title pages, 344pp. and 402pp. Condition: Very Good. Engraved bookplate to each front pastedown, and a more modern owner's embossed stamps to the second title (plus one additional to p. A2, Vol. 2.) Overall, the exterior shows some small areas of discoloration or edge wear and small losses as seen in the photos. Spines are sunned, and there is a stain to head of spine on Vol. 1. It really has a lovely patina. Gilt remains bright on edges of text block; less so on the gilt decoration to the spine. Inside, it is clean, firm and moderately age-toned. This represents the complete works of the young poet, including correspondence, and Southey's extensive biographical sketch. **The subject of these books, poet Henry Kirke White (1785 - 1806) was once an apprentice butcher, but his skills in Latin and poetry earned him a place at Cambridge on scholarship. Plagued by ill health, he died prematurely at the age of twenty-one. He was eulogized by Byron. ** Editor and biographer Robert Southey (1774 -1843), one of the Lake Poets, was a Cambridge-educated contemporary of Coleridge, Byron, Wordsworth and Shelly. He and Coleridge married sisters, and had youthful enthusiasm for utopian living. Southey later supported Coleridge's family when his marriage deteriorated. He published a number of literary biographies/anthologies, and this one went to many reprints. *** The Collector, Henry B. Humphrey of Boston was also a self-made man, becoming a successful merchant in the dry goods business from beginnings as an apprentice in the trade at age sixteen. He also served as a volunteer fire-fighter. After retiring from his business interests he travelled extensively, and was offered a consulship at Alexandria, Egypt by Pres. Polk, but declined. OCLC 977061447. Watson III 256. Provenance: Henry B. Humphrey Collection, May, 1871, No. 3271, p. 427 in the "Catalogue of the Valuable Library of Henry B. Humphrey, Esq: To be Sold by Auction May 9th, 1871, and Following Days, in the Library Salesroom of Leonard and Company, Boston (Riverside Press, 1871.) On Humphrey, See , History of The Military Company of Massachusetts Now Called The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts 1637-1888, p. 30.. Tenth Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.