New Opera's, with Comical Stories, and Poems, on Several Occasions, Never before Printed. Being the Remaining Pieces, Written by Mr. D'Urfey

London: Printed for William Chetwood, at Cato's Head in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, 1721. 8vo, 190 x 118 mms., pp, [10], 88,[4], 89-349, 348-382, in each with a separate title-page; the pagination and register are continuous, pages 348-349 repeated in pagination, but text is continuous, contemporary panelled calf, neatly rebacked in matching style, red morocco label; a very good copy, with the armorial bookplate of Stanley Earl of Derby on the front paste-down end-paper The texts are 1): The Queens of Brentford: or Bayes no Poetaster: A Music Farce, or Comical Opera. 2) The Grecian Heroine: Or, The The Fate of Tyranny. A Tragedy. 3) The Athenian Jilt: Or, Intriguing Cullies. The First Comick Story. 4): Ariadne: Or, The Triumph of Bacchus. An Opera. 5): The Plague of Imperitnence: Or, A Barber a Fury. The Third Comical Story. 6): Socrates and Timandera: Or, Love the best Philosopher. 7): Elegies, Poems, and New Song by Mr. D'Urfey. 8): Poems on Several Occasions, and Songs. Bt Mr. D'Urfey. The playwright and author Thomas D'Urfey (1653?–1723) was said to have a terrible stutter, which disappeared when he was singing. He had his first major success with Madam Fickle (1677), and later as ODNB notes, Charles II "was present at three of the first five performances of A Fond Husband (1677), an extremely successful bawdy romp which held the stage for days, was frequently revived, and which went through three seventeenth-century editions, and later attended the third performance of The Royalist (1681; published 1682), the author's benefit. He even stood shoulder to shoulder with the writer in their rendition of 'Advice to the City'—'a famous Song', D'Urfey's subtitle recalls, 'so remarkable, that I had the Honour to Sing it with King Charles at Windsor; He holding one part of the Paper with Me' (D'Urfey, Pills, 1.246)." Alexander Pope was impresssed with his skill, writin in a letter to Henry Cromwell that he had " learn'd without book a Song of Mr Tho: Durfey's, who is your only Poet of tolerable Reputation in this Country'. 'Dares any one despise Him', he continues, 'who has made so many men Drink?' " Fofxon, page 208.