London:: Printed for Bernard Lintot., MDCCXXV. (-MDCCXXVI.)
Physical Description
5 vols.; 284 mm. (Quarto).
General Note
Vol. I: [x], xxiv, 279, [1] p., frontis. (port.). - Vol.II: [iv], 335, [1] p. - Vol. III: [iv], 363, [1] p. - Vol. IV: [iv], 319, [1] p. - Vol. V: [iv], 317, [xi] p. Some issues of Volume V include, with separate pagination, 'Homer's Battle of the Frogs and Mice, by Mr Archdeacon Parnel, corrected by Mr. Pope'.
Contents
Vol. I: [Privilege, frontis., t.p.] - The Names Of The Subscribers - A General View of the Epic Poem, And of the Iliad and Odyssey. Extracted from Bossu - [Text, books 1-4]. - Vol. II: [T.p., privil.] - [Text, bks. 5-9]. - Vol. III: [T.p., privil.] - [Text, bks. 10-14]. - Vol. IV: [T.p., privil.] - [Text, bks. 15-19]. - Vol. V: [T.p., privil.] - [Text, bks. 20-24] - Postscript. By Mr. Pope - Index - Errata - Names of Subscribers Omitted in the Printed List.
Responsibility Note
The translator's name appears only in the caption of the title-page vignette, 'Pope's Odyssey', and in the half-titles. Pope was assisted in the translation by W. Broome (books 2, 6, 8, 11, 12, 16, 18, 23) and E. Fenton (1, 4, 19, 20); the 'Observations' also are signed by W. Broome.
The frontispiece of Volume I is signed as engraved by G.Vertue.
Head- and tail-pieces are signed as designed by William Kent ('W.K.') and engraved by P. Foudrinier. In Volume I the title-page vignette is signed by Kent and Fourdrinier.
References
ESTC, T14927
R.H. Griffith, Alexander Pope: a bibliography (2 v., 1922-27).
For Homeric themes in art see the bibliography on F. Inghirami, Galleria Omerica (1831).
Summary Note
Publication-dates given on the title-pages are 1725 (Volumes I-III) and 1726 (Volumes IV, V). The fuller title given in Volumes II to V reads, 'The Odyssey Of Homer Translated from the Greek. Vol. II(-V)'.
Each book of the translation is accompanied by a summary 'Argument' and 'Observations'.
The publication is adorned with head- and tail-pieces and decorated initials. The first volume carries also a title-page vignette and a frontispiece showing the 'Mead' (formerly 'Arundel') bust supposedly of Homer.
Provenance
This is the subscriber's copy of George, Prince of Wales (afterwards George II). Inherited by George III, it belongs to a group of about ten duplicates from the Royal Library that were evidently presented privately to the Academy, most probably through the King's Librarian Richard Dalton early in 1769, during the period when expenditure on books for the Academy's fledgling Library was being met directly from the royal Privy Purse. Recorded in A Catalogue Of The Library In The Royal Academy, London (1802), p.24.
Binding Note
18th-century red morocco, vols. II-V rebacked in 18th-century style; upper and lower boards with gilt-tooled borders and stamped with the arms of Queen Caroline when Princess of Wales. It contains the arms of George II when Prince of Wales impaled with hers; spines lettered 'Pope's Odyssey Vol. I (-VI)'.
Mythology, Greek - Heroes
Greek poetry - Epics - Epic poetry
Translations into English - English poetry - Translations from Greek - Great Britain - 18th century
Armorial bindings - Great Britain - 18th century