Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
39
The first edition, first printing of John Gay's Trivia
GAY, [JOHN].
Trivia: or, the Art of Walking the Streets of London. London: Bernard Lintott, [1716]. First edition, large paper copy with engraved initials and headpieces. Late nineteenth-century polished calf, edges gilt, 8 7/8 x 5 5/8 inches, (22.5 x 14 cm.) [4], 80, [12] pp. Binding rubbed, with joints cracked and surface of covers starting to flake. Some foxing and intermittent spotting; together with GAY, [JOSEPH] [but FRANCIS CHUTE], The Petticoat: An heroi-comical Poem. London: R. Burleigh [but Edmund Curll], 1716. First edition. Modern quarter red leather over mabrled boards, 7 3/4 x 5 inches (20.75 x 13.25 cm.) [4], iv, 39, [1] pp. Binding just scuffed at the head and tail of the spine. Internally slightly softened and toned with age, with occaisonal light foxing. A few leaves shaved a bit close but no loss to text.
A nice copy of Gay's Trivia, along with a poem by a Grub Street hack riding Gay's (petti)coattails. Surely hoping to profit from readers' confusion with the very popular John Gay, the notorious Edmund Curll hired a handful of Grub Street hacks to write under the name Joseph Gay. One of the more successful "Joseph Gay" pieces is this satirical-erotic epic, really written by Francis Chute, which praises the petticoat for the privacy provided by its expansive skirts.
Sold for $512
Estimated at $150 - $250
Includes Buyer's Premium
GAY, [JOHN].
Trivia: or, the Art of Walking the Streets of London. London: Bernard Lintott, [1716]. First edition, large paper copy with engraved initials and headpieces. Late nineteenth-century polished calf, edges gilt, 8 7/8 x 5 5/8 inches, (22.5 x 14 cm.) [4], 80, [12] pp. Binding rubbed, with joints cracked and surface of covers starting to flake. Some foxing and intermittent spotting; together with GAY, [JOSEPH] [but FRANCIS CHUTE], The Petticoat: An heroi-comical Poem. London: R. Burleigh [but Edmund Curll], 1716. First edition. Modern quarter red leather over mabrled boards, 7 3/4 x 5 inches (20.75 x 13.25 cm.) [4], iv, 39, [1] pp. Binding just scuffed at the head and tail of the spine. Internally slightly softened and toned with age, with occaisonal light foxing. A few leaves shaved a bit close but no loss to text.
A nice copy of Gay's Trivia, along with a poem by a Grub Street hack riding Gay's (petti)coattails. Surely hoping to profit from readers' confusion with the very popular John Gay, the notorious Edmund Curll hired a handful of Grub Street hacks to write under the name Joseph Gay. One of the more successful "Joseph Gay" pieces is this satirical-erotic epic, really written by Francis Chute, which praises the petticoat for the privacy provided by its expansive skirts.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
