1870 Rare Book - Night Thoughts and The Poetical Works of Edward Young

Author: Edward Young.
Title: The Poetical Works of Edward Young. With Life.
Publisher: Edinburgh and London, Gall & Inglis, [circa 1870s].
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" X 5.5".
Pages: xxiv-502 pages
Binding: Attractive and near fine original Victorian publisher’s olive-green cloth binding, richly decorated in black and gilt on spine and upper board with an urn and shield motif bearing the name “YOUNG”; blind-stamped design with gilt lettering “COLLEGIATE SCHOOL EAST SOUTHSEA” on rear board. Bright gilt and black tooling in exceptional condition (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing - as shown).
Illustrations: Illustrated with four finely executed steel engravings, including a frontispiece, engraved title page vignette. Complete.

The book: A finely preserved Victorian edition of Edward Young’s complete poetical works, handsomely produced by Gall & Inglis and adorned with exquisite steel engravings. Includes Night Thoughts, Love of Fame, The Last Day, The Force of Religion, and other major works. An excellent example of 19th-century decorative cloth bindings paired with literary gravitas. The “Collegiate School, East Southsea” embossing adds a layer of provenance and historical interest, suggesting its use as a prestigious school prize.

The author: Edward Young (1683–1765) was an English poet and dramatist best known for his long poem Night Thoughts, a meditation on death and immortality that profoundly influenced the Graveyard School and early Romanticism. Revered for his introspective depth and moral fervor, Young’s works enjoyed sustained popularity through the 18th and 19th centuries.