Miscellaneous Works (1726)

2nd Edition 1726 (1725) LONDON: Printed for Jonah Bowyer at the Rose and Crown in Paternoster-Row, J. Isted near St Duncan’s Church, and John Worrall at the Dove against Fetter-Lane, Fleet-Street. 1726. 12cm x 20cm, 414 pp plus 14 pp preface. There’s a full page b/w plate of Tom Thumb, at the start of that chapter; one of Crispin the Cobbler at the start of that chapter; one of Richard St—le at the start of that chapter. Numerous Woodcut Head and Tailpieces.

Stamped full leather binding, title & author in gilt on spine. Binding fairly tight and in good condition with some slight chipping and some cracks. A few spots and stains on some pages, one with 2 small tears at the edge. G to VG. Book plate for Edward Peake on inside of front cover. End papers slightly foxed.

Title page notes: Miscellaneous WORKS OF Dr. William Wagstaffe, Phyfician to St. Bartholomew’s-Hofpital, Fellow of the College of Physicians, and of the Royal Society. To which is prefix’d his LIFE, And an ACCOUNT of his WRITINGS. Adorn’d with feveral Curious CUTS engrav’d on Copper. His CHARACTER writ by an eminent Phyfician foon after his Death. He was no lef valued for his Skill in his Profeffion, which he fhewed in feveral ufeful Treatifes, than admired for his Wit and Facectioufnefs in Converfation.

Contains A Comment upon the History of Tom Thumb; Crispin the Cobler’s Confutation of Ben H-----etc; The Story of the St A---n’s Ghost, or the Apparition of Mother Haggy; The Testimonies of the Citizens of Fickleborough; The Representation of the Loyal Subjects of Albania; The Character of Richard St--le, Esq., with Some Remarks; The State & Condition of Our Taxes; The Plain Dealer; A Letter from the Facetious Dr Andrew Tripe at Bath.

DNB. The pieces had appeared separately, and have sufficient literary merit in the opinion of Charles Wentworth Dilke to justify a conjecture that Swift was their real author. The Rev. Whitwell Elwin has on the other hand expressed an opinion that the evidence contained in the volume, and confirmed by contemporary records, proves that the true author is the one named on the title page. Teerinks Bibliography of Swift, 2nd edition edited by Arthur H. Scouten, has either dropped them or relegated them to the section entitled ‘Doubtful’.

Wagstaffe was born in Cublington, Buckinghamshire, UK, The only son of the town's rector, and related to the Wagstaffe family of Knightcote, Warwickshire. He was educated at a school in Northampton, entered Lincoln College, Oxford in 1701, graduated B.A. (1704) and M.A. (1707). The same year, he joined the London "practice of physics" of his relative Thomas Wagstaffe. He married Thomas' daughter and, after her early death, married the daughter of surgeon Charles Bernard. In 1714, he graduated M.B. and M.D. at Oxford. He became fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1718, and was a censor in 1720. He became reader on anatomy to the Barber-Surgeons in 1715, and succeeded Salisbury Cade as physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital in 1720. He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1718. Wagstaffe died in Bath.

Please note this book will be posted from the UK.