John Gay, Poems on Several Occasions

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Gay published

Poems on Several Occasions

by subscription edition, in July 1720, in an attempt to raise sufficient money to pay off his many debts. The venture was highly successful, with not only his close friends, but also most of the court, rallying strongly to the subscription. The subscription list, printed at the front of the collection, shows that nearly four hundred persons, headed by the Prince and Princess of Wales, subscribed, with many signing up for multiple copies. Lords Burlington and Chandos subscribed to pay for fifty copies each; William Pulteney to pay for twenty-five; and Lord Bathurst, the Rt Hon. James Craggs (the principal Secretary for State), Henry Pelham, and the Earl of Warwick ten each. Numerous others subscribed to buy seven, five or three copies, while Robert…

4413 words

Citation: Gordon, Ian. "Poems on Several Occasions". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 January 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16697, accessed 19 March 2024.]

16697 Poems on Several Occasions 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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