Lot 380
Wordsworth, William -- Lofft, Capel
Rare Books, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 16 January 2008 at 11:00 GMT
Description
Ernest, or political regeneration. A poem. Privately Printed, [no date], 12mo, inscribed by William Wordsworth on the title page, contemporary sheep, ink label on upper board, some spotting, hinges weak and cracking
Footnote
Note: Lofft was both an essayist and minor poet. A passionate reformer, from 1779 onwards he was a lively participant in the Debating Societies in England. Although frequently and often fiercely opposed by the landed gentry and the Tories, Lofft always remained undaunted and unflinchingly committed to the cause of Freedom. Indeed, the American and French Revolutions made such a profound impression on him that he, along with many other British "radicals" of his day, clamoured for immediate Reform of Parliament. Dead set against slavery, he was even granted an honourary membership in the Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia, and was an active member of the London Abolition Society.
Lofft's revolutionary views would certainly have been an influence on the young Wordsworth, who visited Revolutionary France while studying at Cambridge. After graduation Wordsworth returned to France for a number of years before tensions grew too high with Britain.