GOOD CONDITION

This sale is for a quality vintage hardback FIRST FOLIO SOCIETY EDITION entitled “The Letters of Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple 1652-1654,” edited by Kingsley Hart, with COLOUR frontispiece portraits of Dorothy Osborne and Sir William Temple.

It was published by The Folio Society, of London, and is the 1968 FIRST FOLIO SOCIETY EDITION.

After refusing a long string of suitors put forth by her family, including her cousin Thomas Osborne, Henry Cromwell (son of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell) and Sir Justinian Isham, in 1654 Dorothy Osborne married Sir William Temple, a man with whom she had carried on a lengthy clandestine courtship that was largely epistolary in nature. It is for her letters to Temple, which were witty, progressive and socially illuminating, that Osborne is remembered. Only Osborne's side of the correspondence survived and comprises a collection of 77 letters, now held in the British Library all 77 of which are printed here.

Dorothy Osborne's letters to the man she would later propose to and marry, with an Introduction (by the editor?) briefly setting their historical, political, social and literary contexts, and an Epilogue.

Dorothy Osborne (1627-1695) was a friend of the future Queen Mary II, and in 1655 became the wife of the British statesman and essayist, Sir William Temple (1628-1699).

The period in British history is the Commonwealth Protectorate (1649-1653) and the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell (1653-1658).

The book measures 8.75 inches x 5.75 inches and has 213 pages.

The book is in good clean and neat condition with heavy fading to the cloth hardback cover and a little light foxing to the rims.  The binding is very good with no loose or missing pages.  There are NO inscriptions/book-plates and NO other ink or pencil markings in the book.  There is no slipcase.

A wonderful quality vintage FIRST FOLIO SOCIETY EDITION.

COMBINED POSTAGE - ALL BIDDERS: We offer 20% off the total postage & packing/‘shipping’ for additional items after the cost of the heaviest book – please wait for a combined invoice.

Please click on “View Sellers Other Items” towards the top right hand side of this page for other vintage editions. 

Buyer to pay postage & packing

For UK Postage: 2nd Class/Parcels = £2.95;

or 1st Class = £3.90

European Union Postage: = 6.95 GB Pounds

USA Postage: Air Mail (USA) = 13.45 GB Pounds

Rest of the World Postage: Air Mail (Anywhere else in the World) = 10.70 GB Pounds

Surface Mail (Anywhere in the World) = 13.20 GB Pounds

Unwinsbooks have held down shipping prices from 2013-2020 in spite of small increases in postage costs.  However, Royal Mail Prices dramatically changed on 1 July 2020, as a result of exceptional cost increases outside of their control, so we are reluctantly having to pass on pricing increases for parcels being sent overseas (primarily USA, New Zealand, Australia and the Rest of the World). 

These costs are a direct result of: 

• An increase of more than 100% in the fees the US Postal Service (USPS) charges for the delivery of international mail.

• Securing air freight at inflated market costs due to a 95% reduction in air passenger flights globally. This has not affected domestic or postage within the EU.

“Royal Mail, always aim to deliver the best value international services. We fully recognise that these changes are significant. This was a decision we reluctantly took but is necessary in view of the increased costs borne by Royal Mail.”

If the Royal Mail reduce their charges in the future (in particular what they term “Temporary Air Carrier Supplement Pricing”) unwinsbooks will reduce the international costs accordingly.

Unwinsbooks always obtain a proof of postage receipt from the Royal Mail.  Packages over Royal Mail size rules may be sent by courier (customer will be informed).

Goods will be WELL PACKAGED by Unwins Books and dispatched once payment has cleared.

PAYMENT FOR UK BIDDERS: By Paypal, UK cheque, or postal order. 

POSTAGE UK BIDDERS:  If you require registered post - "sign for" - then this will be an extra £1.10 per package (UK purchasers only).

PAYMENT FOR OVERSEAS BIDDERS: By Paypal Only.  Sorry, but overseas (non UK) personal checks and International Money Orders are NOT accepted due to huge bank charges.

POSTAGE OVERSEAS BIDDERS:  Please note that Surface Mail is very slow (6 to 12 weeks).