Poems.

Bookseller Notes

This scarce volume of poems was published privately and posthumously by the family of the author, who was just seventeen when he died. The affectionate biographical introduction explains that Nesbitt White was born in Calcutta in 1788 and sent to England for his education - at which he excelled - before joining his family upon their arrival in Doncaster. His health beginning to fail, the family were advised to seek warmer climes, and were at Bristol awaiting passage to Madeira when he died suddenly. His parents' pride and grief are evident in equal measure: 'Thus died prematurely this amiable and accomplished youth; of whom it is but justice to remark, that had he lived he would have proved an ornament to his country, and a blessing to mankind'.Most of the verses belong to the last year of Nesbitt White's life, which seems to have been extraordinarily productive. They include translations from the classics, Latin verse of his own composition, and a host of emotive and narrative poems including: 'An Exhortation to the Swiss', a love poem 'Stanzas Addressed to Miss B---'', and the somewhat prophetic 'Farewell to the People of Yorkshire'.This copy with a handwritten dedication from Nesbitt White's father to Bryan Cooke of Owston, just north of Doncaster.