John Suckling. FRAGMENTA AUREA. A COLLECTION OF ALL THE INCOMPARABLE PEECES WRITTEN BY SIR JOHN SUCKLING AND PUBLISHED BY A FRIEND TO PERPETUATE HIS MEMORY. London: Printed by Tho[mas] Warren, [William Wilson?], and [Edward Griffen?] for Humphrey Moseley, 1648. 2nd edition. Half black leather over brown marbled paper boards, with raised bands and gilt lettering and pattern on spine. With poems, letters, and three plays (Aglavra, The Goblins, Brennoralt). Each part with separate title page, foliation, and pagination. 8vo; A4(lacks A1); A-G8(lacks F2) H4; A-E8 F4; A-D8; A-C8 D4; [6], 119; [7] 82; 64; [4], 52pp. With ornaments, head-pieces, and decorated initials. ESTC R7002.

7 x 4 1/2 in.

From the Collection of Professor Roberto Severino, Washington, D.C.

Sir John Suckling (British, 1609-1642) was an aristocratic poet and playwright. "Sucklings' poetry is considered to present the height of libertine cynicism, enjoyable excursions into a world of carefree abandonment, reveling in wine, women, and gambling, a male world of conquest and gratifications, but... perhaps beneath all the humor and one-upmanship is a person evidencing unhappiness with himself and the frustrations of his life..." (Poetry Foundation)

Boards with edgewear and scuffing, joints and spine lightly rubbed with small amount of cracking at joint head; lacking frontispiece, final endpaper, and one additional leaf; damp stains, small burn hole in C2 and C7; occasional small tear or corner loss not impacting text; interior with toning and scattered foxing; top margin very closely trimmed; a very good and sturdy copy.