Quarto. 16, [2], 6, 9-29, [3], 118pp, cxix-cxxiv, [2]. With an engraved title page and terminal index. Contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, contrasting gilt-tooled red morocco lettering-piece. Heavily worn, with lower joint cracked and upper joint split, significant loss to corners, slight losses to head and foot of spine. Armorial bookplate of Richard Bingham to FEP. Early inked inscriptions of Robert Eddowes to FFEP, dated 1748, and William Bowles, dated 1796, to head of title. Later inked ownership inscription of 'Paula Martin, abingdon. Berks, aug 21. 1901' to first blank flyleaf. Very occasional slight marking to text, overall internally clean & crisp.

The first edition of the second version of Pope's Dunciad, Variorum, the most popular and widely-read example of his great mock-heroic satirical epic poem. A landmark literary satire published in three different versions at different times, the poem celebrates the goddess Dulness and the progress of her chosen agents as they bring decay, imbecility, and tastelessness to the kingdom of Great Britain. Although the text of the poem received only minor alterations, the entire work quadrupled in length with the addition of the 'Prolegomena', a selection of critical notes, comments and appendices in which the 'dunces' of the verse are named and flayed scathingly for their subpar literary efforts. Despite being attributed to A. Dod., Griffith asserts that the real publisher of this edition was Lawton Gilliver.

The William Bowles through whose hands this edition passed in 1796 was not the poet of the same name who compiled an edition of Pope in 1806, but the Bowles of Heale, Salisbury, who hosted Dr Johnson in August of 1783.