Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London
Hardcover
1922 · London
by Gay, John and W. H. Williams
London: Daniel O'Connor, 1922. Hardcover. G (DJ has moderate edge wear and is soiled, aged and has foxing on interior side; some foxing or tanning appears on flyleaves and ragged page edges; pages themselves are generally clear.). White cloth with gilt letters and ornate decoration on spine & front cover; gilt top edges, tan paper dust jacket, illus. flyleaves, 92 pp., 17 BW illus. A newer edition, with expanded introduction by W. H. Williams, of English poet John Gay's epic poem, "Triva: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London," originally published in 1716. Includes a London map on the front flyleaves, a variety of relevant engravings based on paintings (three by Hogarth), and an index. Teaser on front cover of dust jacket: "The streets of a great city have always had a great fascination for poets, from the Psalmist who walked about Zion telling the towers thereof, to the mystic who mused over the domes and temples of London asleep in the morning light. So 'Trivia,' which began as a burlesque of the 'Arts,' developed into an original poem containing a series of picturesque scenes, the harvest of a quiet eye which had been fascinated by the panorama of the London streets." John Gay (1685-1732) is more known as the author of "The Beggar's Opera. (Inventory #: 147440)