1822 Rare Book - Jerusalem Delivered; An Heroic Poem by Torquato Tasso

Author: Torquato Tasso. Translated by John Hoole.
Title: Jerusalem Delivered; An Heroic Poem.
Publisher: London, Printed for F.C. & J. Rivington, et al., 1821.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 5 x 3 inches. 
Pages: xlvii-404 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine, superb contemporary full green morocco binding, covers richly panelled in an elegant geometric basket-weave pattern, framed by gilt fillets. Spine with five raised bands, lavish gilt compartments and contrasting black morocco label titled “Hoole’s Tasso.” (hinges fine - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges marbled. Vibrant period marbled endpapers. A magnificent and finely preserved early 19th-century binding.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing and toning - as shown). 
Illustrations: Two fine engraved (frontispiece and title page) by Davenport after T. Uwins, dated January 1822, together with the printed title page dated 1821.

Estimate: (USD 200– USD 250).

The book: A beautifully bound early 19th-century edition of Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, presented here in John Hoole’s classic English verse translation. First published in 1763, Hoole’s version became the standard British reading edition for decades, celebrated for its clarity and poetic grace.

This 1821 edition is enhanced by two delicately engraved illustrations, executed in the refined steel-engraving style typical of the period. The scenes—romantic, heroic, and infused with the atmosphere of medieval chivalry—prepare the reader for Tasso’s sweeping epic of love, warfare, enchantment, and Christian knightly valor.

The true distinction of this copy, however, lies in its exquisite full morocco binding: an unusual geometric basket-weave pattern covers both boards, bordered by gilt rules, with a spine richly gilt in ornate compartments. The craftsmanship, materials, and design all indicate the work of a highly skilled binder, likely executed for a private library of taste and means.

A remarkable survival, both as a finely produced literary edition and as an object of bookbinding artistry.

The author: Torquato Tasso (1544–1595) was one of the great poets of the Italian Renaissance. His masterpiece, Gerusalemme Liberata (Jerusalem Delivered), recounts a romanticized version of the First Crusade, blending classical epic structure with medieval chivalric themes and a deep sense of spiritual struggle. The poem profoundly influenced European literature, inspiring painters, composers, and poets from Milton to Byron.

Tasso’s life, marked by brilliance, courtly service, emotional turbulence, and periods of confinement, became as legendary as his writing.

The translator: John Hoole (1727–1803) was an influential English translator of Italian literature, best known for bringing Tasso and Ariosto into the English-speaking world. Though sometimes considered conservative in style, his translations were admired in their time for their poetic restraint, clarity, and fidelity to the original spirit. His work played a central role in making Renaissance Italian epics accessible to 18th- and 19th-century readers and remained in circulation for generations.