TAMERLANE. a tragedy. As it is Acted at the New Theater in Little Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. By his Majesty's Servants. By N.(Nicholas) ROWE.
LONDON, Printed for JACOB TONSON, 1703. The Second Edition, so stated.
Disbound (i.e. no covers), 6.5x8.75 inches, 4to, [x], 68 pages. The front free endpaper looks like it was added as part of a later rebinding. The rear free endpaper is lacking.
The front free endpaper has the armorial bookplates of The Reverend Sir George Lee, Baronet Hartwell; and of John Lee of Hartwell, (John Lee’s bookplate does not include his name, but has his family crest with the motto ‘VERUM ATQUE DECENS’ (True and Becoming)).
Condition: Disbound, as stated above; front free endpaper and the pasted on bookplates are bright, clean and clear; the inner pages were printed on cheap paper and are significantly toned, the title page is soiled with edge wear, edge and corner creases, and a few 1 inch closed tears at the gutter edge; the last page is almost loose and has wear and tearing at its gutter margin and a small closed tear at its front edge; despite the toning and the wear to the first and last page, this copy remains complete and the printing is fully clear and legible.
A rare 1703 second edition with nice Provenance.
About SIR GEORGE LEE, BARONET. HARTWELL (from the Cheshire Heraldry website):
******Sir George Lee, 6th and last Bart (1767–1827). On the death of his brother in 1801, the Rev. George Lee succeeded to the family title, and endeavoured to make amends for the prodigalities of his late brother. He was M.A., of St. John’s College, Oxford, 1791, and studied medicine at London and Edinburgh, but took orders in 1792 and was inducted as Rector of Hartwell and Vicar of Stone 1793, retaining their living until 1803 when he became vicar of South Repps, Suffolk. He returned to Bucks, however, in the following year, when he became Rector of Grendon Underwood (until 1808) and of Water Stratford (until 1815): he was presented to the Rectory of Beachampton in 1815, by the Marquess of Buckingham, remaining there until his death in 1827. Being unmarried, the baronetcy – held by the family for over 150 years – became extinct, and the estate devolved by will on his nephew Dr. John (Fiott) Lee.******
About JOHN LEE of HARTWELL (from various Internet sources):
******John Lee LL.D (1783 - 1866), born John Fiott, was an English Philanthropist, Astronomer, Mathematician, Antiquarian and Barrister.
He was the eldest son of John Fiott and Harriet Lee. His father was involved in the family counting house business and was a failed East India merchant. He was orphaned when young and was brought up by his maternal uncle, William Lee Antonie.
Lee read Mathematics at St John's College, Cambridge between 1802 and 1806, graduating fifth wrangler in his year. He was elected a fellow in 1808. Following his studies from 1807-1815 he travelled extensively in the middle east and Europe as a travelling bachelor. During this time he gained an interest in antiquities.
He took the name Lee in 1816 at the request of his uncle, Sir George Lee, Baronet. In 1833 Lee married Cecilia Rutter. She died in 1854 and was buried in the graveyard of Hartwell Church. In 1855, he married again, this time to Louisa Catherine Heath.
Lee died at Hartwell House. An obituary was published in volume 27 of the monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society the following year.
Lee inherited several properties from William Lee Antonie in 1815. Antonie's will predicated the inheritance on Lee changing his name by royal license from Fiott. The properties included Colworth House near Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire and Totteridge Park formerly in Hertfordshire.
In 1827, Lee inherited Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire from Reverend Sir George Lee which became his main residence from 1829 until his death.
On 14 May 1824, Lee was elected as fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and was its president between 1861 and 1863. Lee became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1828 and a Fellow of the Philological Society in 1831. Between 1830 and 1839, Lee built an astronomical observatory in the south-west corner of Hartwell House. Lee helped found the Royal Meteorological Society in 1850 and was its president from 1855-1857.
The lunar crater Lee is named after him.******