Wilkes, John (1727-1797)

[An Essay on Woman.] By [Pego Borewell] Esquire: with notes by [Rogerus Cunaeus] Vigerus Mutomiatus, etc. and a Commentary by the Revd. Dr. Warburton. Contemporary MS. copy of the original edition, with the obscene passages in shorthand. A note on the last leaf of the text refers to a newspaper article dated June 23rd 1768, quoting a letter of Wilkes concerning the work. Only 12 copies of this original edition of the Essay were printed, which were said to have been struck off by the author himself on his own private press.

1768

1 volume 2 ll. + 21 pp. + 60 bl. ll. 4to. 201/2 × 161/2 cm. Original calf binding, damaged.

Purchased 1935.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).

The best account of the controversies relating to this work, its attribution to John Wilkes, and the various editioins is to be found on pp. 198-236 of the 'Index librorum prohibitorum' by Pisanus Fraxi (i.e. Henry Spencer Ashbee [1834-1900]). It is to be noted that in this copy 'Mutomiatus' is found in the title, as contrasted with 'Mutoniatus' in the 'Index'.