[SWIFT, JONATHAN (1667-1745)]. A Tale of a Tub. Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. To Which are Added, an Account of a Battle Between the Ancient and the Modern Books in St. James's Library; and, a Discourse Concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit. With the Author's Apology; and, Explanatory Notes, by W. Wotton, B.D. and Others. Glasgow: printed by R. Urie, MDCCLIII. [1753].
THE THIRTEENTH EDITION. Three parts in one; leather-bound; hardcover; octavo (16.5 x 10 x 2 cm); pp. xxviii, 29-230, [2, publisher's ads]. Pagination is continuous. English text. Handsomely bound in contemporary full speckled calf gilt; red dyed page edges; marbled endpapers; 8 engraved plates; the 'Battle' and the 'Discourse' have separate title-pages; with a final advertisement leaf at the end. Condition: VERY GOOD. Collated complete. Binding tight and secure. Covers well-preserved with a small abrasion to upper board. Interior with some light toning. Without previous ownership markings.
Notes: First published in 1704, Swift's "A Tale of a Tub," was a biting satire on religious excess. "The work made Swift notorious, and was widely misunderstood, especially by Queen Anne herself who mistook its purpose for profanity." Ousby, I. (1993). [The Cambridge guide to literature in English; Teerink-Scouten, 241; ESTC N13654].
