Maggots, or, Poems on several subjects never before handled

[Samuel WESLEY (1662-1735).]

Maggots, or, Poems on several subjects never before handled. By a schollar. London: Printed for John Dunton, at the Sign of the Black Raven, at the corner of Princes Street, near the Royal Exchange, 1685.

12mo (5 1/2 x 3 3/16 inches). [i-xvi]; 1-172 pp. Engraved portrait frontispiece. (Frontispiece cut down, B1 narrower than rest of bookblock, some margins close-shaved, old marginal dampstain).

Rebound using 19th century patterned cloth, 18th-century spine label.

First edition - a rare work by John Wesley's father: none for sale and the last copy to appear at auction was apparently in 1963.

Samuel Wesley's 'poetic career began in 1685 with the publication of Maggots, a collection of juvenile verses on trivial subjects, the preface to which apologizes to the reader because the book is neither grave nor gay. The poems appear to be an attempt to prove that poetic language can create beauty out of the most revolting subjects.

The first poem, "On a Maggot", is composed in hudibrastics, with a diction obviously Butlerian, and it is followed by facetious poetic dialogues and by Pindarics of the Cowleian sort but on such subjects as "On the Grunting of a Hog." ' (wikipedia). Wing W1374.