Jonathan Swift Collection
Title
Identifier
Description
Monash University Library’s Rare Books Collection houses one of the world’s finest Jonathan Swift collections. The core of the collection was acquired in 1961, the same year the University was founded, from the distinguished Australian-born musician and local collector David Woolley. Mr Woolley was a friend of Emeritus Professor W. A. G. Scott, the first professor of English at Monash University and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the time of his retirement in 1981. Mr Woolley subsequently became editor of Swift’s correspondence, and continued to advise and act on behalf of the Library in the purchase of additional Swift items.
Monash has continued to develop its Swift Collection which now includes a significant collection of first or early editions of Swift’s works, including Gulliver’s Travels and A Tale of a Tub, as well as some Swift manuscripts and correspondence.
Many of Monash’s volumes have contemporary handwritten marginal notes or commentaries on the text which give then an extra interest, and in some cases make them extremely rare and valuable.
The Swift collection remains one of the Library's most significant for researchers and the Library is actively digitising material from this collection.
Collection Items
Engravings by Rex Whistler for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's travels : printed from the original plates
He writes a faithful history of his travels for XVI years & above VII months
He sees approaching a curious Vehicle drawn by four Yahoos
A herd of about forty Yahoos come flocking about him howling & making odious faces
The country of the Houyhnhnms. Discovered by Capt. Lemuel Gulliver 1711
Alexander the Great at the head of his Army, immediately appears in a large field under the Window.
The Lord Munodi takes him in his chariot to see the town of Lagado
A diagram showing the methods by which the Islands of Laputa is conveyed to different parts of the Dominion of Balnibarbi
In the lowest gallery he beholds some people fishing with long angling rods and others looking on
The Kingdoms of Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and Japan. Visited A.D. 1707-1709 by Captain Lemuel Gulliver
A dozen apples each as large as a bristol barrel come tumbling about his ears
He screams as loud as fear can make him, where-upon the huge Creature at last espies him
The King commands him to bring one of his chairs out of the Box and sit down upon the top of the cabinet.
The Kingdom of Brobdingnag. Discovered by Mr Lemuel Gulliver A.D. 1703
He cuts with his knife the cables that fasten the anchors receiving above two hundred shots in his face & hands
His Majesty presents him with fifty purses of two hundred Sprugs a-piece together with his picture at full length
He accepts an advantageous offer from Capt. William Pritchard, Master of the Antelope
The Kingdoms of Lilliput and Blefuscu. Discovered by Mr Lemuel Gulliver A.D 1699
Verses on the death of Dr. S----, D.S.P.D., occasioned by reading a maxim in Rochefoulcault.
Many lower edges uncut.
This edition restores the hundred-odd lines and its notes suppressed in W. King's…
A new and correct map of the whole world
Diary of Edmund Henry Lenthal Swifte
Verses on the death of Dr.Swift
Teerink 772
A Vindication of the Protestant dissenters, from the aspersions cast upon them in a late pamphlet, intitled, The Presbyterians Plea of merit, in order to take off the test, impartially examined : to which are added, some remarks upon a paper, call'd, The Correspondent.
This copy belonged to Swift himself and has his own
manuscript annotations in the margins.
The postscript: p. 43-48.
Disbound.
A modest proposal for preventing the children of poor people from being a burthen to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick
Scrapbooking cards : Gulliver's Journay to Lilliput and Military Scenes
A safe return.
Released with honours.
The clever fireman.
A naval force on foot.
A dangerous road.
A grand parade.
Thunder and lightning.
In prison.
On his own carriage.
A good appetite.
Awaking as a captive.
Saved.
Autograph memorandum, signed, concerning St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 21 May 1739 [1729]
Patricks is in a very tottering Condition, and endangers the Lives of those Clergy-men who
attend at the Altar, as well as those people who come up to…
[Letter] 1713 April 30, London [to] William Diaper, Hampshire
Integral address leaf.
Published in: "The correspondence", ed. Sir Harold Williams, Vol. 1, p. 345.
[Letter] 1713 June 7, Chester [to] Charles Ford, Whitehall, London
Integral address leaf, postmarks, seal, seal tear.
Previously in the collection of bookseller Lionel Robinson (d. 1983)
Not in "The Correspondence", ed. Sir Harold Williams.
Fraud detected, or, The Hibernian patriot
Note: Removed from Marble Hill House. This copy was given by Swift to Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk.