J O N K E R S R A R E B O O K S
grey paper spine with title label to spine. Uncut and unpressed. 4pp of preliminary adverts, with half title, but wanting front blank as always, 10pp of terminal adverts on leaves L4-L8. A very good copy indeed with shallow chipping to the exposed part of the spine ends and joints starting, but sound. First gath- ering loosening but in tact. A very well preserved and entirely unsophisticated copy of Clare’s rare first book. $5,000 An exceptional copy of John Clare’s scarce first book, in original publish - er’s boards. Born in 1793, the son of humble and almost illiterate parents, Clare grew up in the Northamptonshire village of Helpston. His formal education, such as it was, ended when he was eleven years old, but Clare began writing poetry when he was thirteen and was astonishingly prolific. Like Robert Burns, with whom he has been compared, Clare was profoundly influenced by his surroundings, and his poetry is enriched by the use of his native Northamptonshire vernacular. Clare’s poery might never have remained in obscurity had not a lo-
cal second hand book- seller, Edward Drury, found one of his poems on a “half sheet of dirty foolscap paper on which was penned ‘The Setting Sun’”. Drury introduced Clare to his cousin, John Taylor, who published this volume in an edition of 1000 copies. It was an immediate success and was reprinted three times, selling 3500 cop- ies within a year, a most unusual occurrence for contemporary poetry. Despite this early suc- cess, Clare died in debt in a lunatic asylum in 1864. His legacy as poet of rural England has few rivals. Hayward 236, Tinker 636
10. CHURCHILL, Winston S. MY EARLY LIFE A Roving Commis- sion Thornton Butterworth, Ltd., 1934 [46500] First Keystone Library edition. Red
cloth, blind stamped rules and vignette to upper cover, gilt titles to upper cover and spine. Signed by the author to the front free endpaper “To Major Geoffrey Kitson from Winston S. Churchill. January 1937”. A very good copy indeed, faded to head of spine, light foxing to page edges and preliminaries. $6,000 Churchill’s account of his youthful years, education and military train- ing. Written in his 50s after the Great War, he reflects on the social struc - tures of his youth as those of a bygone era. UNCUT IN ORIGINAL BOARDS 11. CLARE, John POEMS DESCRIPTIVE OF RURAL LIFE AND SCENERY Taylor and Hessey, 1820 [46507] First edition. 12mo. Original publisher’s blue boards and with
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