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WHARTON, Grace and Phillip (pseud.)
Wits and Beaux of Society.
When Grace and Philip Wharton found that they had pleased the world with their "Queens of Society," they very sensibly resolved to follow up their success with a companion work. Their first book had been all about women; the second book should be all about men. Accordingly, they set to work selecting certain types that pleased them; they wrote a fresh collection of pleasant essays and presented the reading public with "Wits and Beaux of Society". One book is as good as the other; there is not a pin to choose between them. There is the same bright easy, gossiping style, the same pleasing rapidity. There is nothing tedious, nothing dull anywhere. They do not profess to have anything to do with the graver processes of history -- these entertaining volumes; seek rather to amuse than to instruct, and they fulfill their purpose excellently. There is instruction in them, but it comes in by the way; one is conscious of being entertained, and it is only after the entertainment is over that one finds that a fair amount of information has been thrown in to boot. The Whartons have but old tales to tell, but they tell them very well, and that is the first part of their business." (Preface).
- Published
- London: J. W. Jarvis & Son, 1890.
- Plates
- 20
- Binding/Size
- S=8vo
- Value
- 0-5000
- Published
- London: J. W. Jarvis & Son, 1890.
- Ref
- 1051
Two volumes. xxxii, 262; v, [1] 246 pp. EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED COPY, containing 117 portraits and views (some folding), of which 20 are hand-coloured. 8vo., 208 x 136 mm. Exquisite binding by Bayntun of Bath in full dark blue morocco, lavishly gilded with inlaid with black morocco borders on boards. The spine is comprised of six compartments, all with elaborate gilt designs. Lettered in the second and fourth compartments. All edges gilt. Gilt in rule to the inside of boards, marbled endpapers. Some plates with mild foxing to edges. A lovely copy of The Wits and Beaux of Society, wonderfully bound and extra-illustrated with 117 plates; ordinary copies contain only 16 plates (all present herein). In the present copy, the extra plates consist of engraved portraits illustrating the personages mentioned in the text, including Horace Walpole, George Villiers, Count de Grammont, Beau Fielding, William Congreve, Beau Nash, Phillip Duke of Wharton, Lord Harvey, Earl of Chesterfield, etc. Coloured plates in order: Volume 1. 1. Frontispiece. Frances Theresa Stewart, Duchess of Richmond. 2. George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. 3. Thomas, Lord Clifford of Chudleigh. 4. Henry, Prince of Wales. 5. Anne Hyde, Duchess of York. 6. Somerset House (folding plate slightly cropped) 7. Dorothy Sidney, Countess of Sunderland. 8. Bath (folding plate). 9. James Boswell, Esq. 10. Buffon. Volume 2. 11. Frontispiece. Horatio Walpole, Fourth Earl of Orford. 12. Bradley. 13. Mme de la Valliere. 14. Mme Geoffrin. 15. Gibbon. 16. Francis Jeffrey Esq. 17. John Liston, Comedian. 18. Edinburgh. 19. Fishmonger's Hall. 20. John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute.
