William Shenstone Works in Verse and Prose 1765 First Edition Thus
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
The Works in Verse and Prose of William Shenstone, Esq; In Two Volumes. Edinburgh: Printed for Alexander Donaldson, 1765.
Two-volume 12mo edition of the collected works of William Shenstone, comprising his poetry, essays, reflections and other prose writings. The title page of Volume II is particularly notable for the statement “Most of which were never before printed.”, drawing attention to the substantial quantity of previously unpublished material included in the collection.
Bibliographically, this is best described as an early Donaldson edition / First Edition Thus, rather than the first edition of Shenstone's collected Works. The first collected edition appeared in London in 1764. The 1765 Edinburgh edition is separately recorded as the Donaldson edition.
 
Historical & Bibliographic Context
William Shenstone's writings are notable in eighteenth-century English literary culture for his pastoral poetry and influential approach to landscape and gardening at The Leasowes in Shropshire.
This 1765 Edinburgh edition brings together his poetry, essays and reflections on literature, taste, gardening, politics, religion and human nature. The Volume II title page states “Most of which were never before printed.”, highlighting the substantial amount of previously unpublished material included in the collection.
 
About the Author
William Shenstone (1714–1763) was an English poet and landscape gardener, best known for his pastoral poetry and the development of The Leasowes, his celebrated landscape garden in Shropshire. His wider writings, represented here, explore literature, taste, manners, religion, politics, gardening and human nature.
 
Illustrations
Volume I contains an engraved portrait frontispiece of William Shenstone, together with an engraved decorative title-page design incorporating bird and natural-history imagery.
The engravings provide an attractive visual element to the set and enhance its appeal as an eighteenth-century literary collection.
 
Binding & Exterior Description
Both volumes retain their contemporary full brown calf bindings, with plain calf-covered boards, five raised bands to the spines and remnants of gilt decoration.
The bindings remain attractive examples of eighteenth-century bookbinding, although both volumes have suffered structural wear consistent with age and use. The front board of each volume is detached but present and appears repairable. The spines are rubbed and worn, with some loss at the head and foot, together with light surface scratches and rubbing. The corners are bumped.
Despite these defects, the original full-calf bindings remain pleasing and give the set a strong period appearance.
 
Interior Condition
The text leaves are generally neat and clean for their age, with light overall toning and very little foxing. There are some patches of tanning around the edges of the pastedowns and endpapers, and on the title page of Volume II, but these do not affect the text.
There are occasional small marks, stains and creases, including a small stain affecting the letter “t” in “the” on page 41 of Volume II and another affecting the “t” in “taken” on page 141. There are also occasional small edge tears which do not affect the printed text.
Volume I has a few small holes near the lower edges of pages, again without loss of text.
The front free endpaper in each volume is detached but present. Each front pastedown bears a small paper label or plate reading “William: Levett.”, while each front free endpaper bears the elaborate ink inscription “Wm S. Levett”.
The text blocks themselves remain secure and tight, and all pages are present.
 
Contents
Volume I, xii + 312 pages, contains elegies, odes, songs, ballads, humorous pieces and other verse, including A Prefatory Essay on Elegy, Ode to Memory, Ode to Indolence, Jemmy Dawson, A Pastoral Ballad, in Four Parts, The Rape of the Trap, The Charms of Precedence and Epilogue to the Tragedy of Cleone.
Volume II, 259 pages, contains Shenstone's prose and miscellaneous writings on literature, taste, gardening, politics, religion, manners and human nature, together with verses addressed to Shenstone by Lady Luxborough, Richard Graves, Dodsley, Woodhouse and others.
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
A scarce early Scottish edition, with complete two-volume sets particularly desirable. Its appeal includes the contemporary full-calf bindings, engraved portrait and decorative title page, extensive collection of poetry and prose, and the significant statement “Most of which were never before printed.” The contemporary William S. Levett provenance adds further interest.
 
Provenance
Both volumes bear the name “Wm S. Levett” in an elaborate eighteenth-century hand, with small labels reading “William: Levett.” The identity of the owner cannot be confirmed, although a possible contemporary candidate is William Levett of Staffordshire, admitted to Westminster School in 1748. The provenance is therefore best described as an intriguing contemporary Levett provenance, with the owner's identity unconfirmed.
 
Physical Details
Format: 12mo
Volume I: 17.4 × 10.6 × 2.3 cm
Volume II: 17.4 × 10.6 × 1.9 cm
Weight: approximately 521g for the two-volume set
Pagination: Volume I, xii + 312 pages; Volume II, title page, contents + 259 pages
Binding: contemporary full brown calf
Volumes: 2, complete
Illustrations: engraved portrait frontispiece and engraved decorative title-page design in Volume I