Subject: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: lamarca Date: 26 Nov 99 - 05:19 PM I have located a recent reprint of Wit and Mirth; Pills to Purge Melancholy from Singing Tree Press or Folklore Associates (can't remember which, and I'm at work); and must find a fair price to offer for the set. Searches on-line at MX Bookfinder and Abebooks.com show 2 of the 1719-20 editions floating around for $550+, but I don't think that's a fair price for the 1950's reprint. Any suggestions as to what I should offer for it? And to all you other book piranhas out there, no, I'm not going to let this one go, so don't send me low-ball (or high-ball) price suggestions in hopes of scooping it from me - I just want to give the seller a fair price, instead of the $5/volume he was asking... |
Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: Bruce O. Date: 26 Nov 99 - 05:44 PM My 1959 reprint edition of the 1876 reprint was issued by Folklore Library Publishers, New York. It's rather cheaply bound in 3 vols. The 1876 reprint has been stated to have been extraordinarily accurate. I can't remember how much I paid for them a few years later, but somewhere in the range of $35-50. Judging by the astronomical prices of volumes of Bronson's 'Traditional Tunes...', and the Dover paperback reprint of Child's ESPB, the market is great for booksellers, but collecting such is now a rich person's hobby. Good luck. Let me know if you want any specific songs from my reprint.
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Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: Lesley N. Date: 27 Nov 99 - 08:24 AM I don't have anything to add to this but jealousy... at least it's found a good home... The book piranha - lesley |
Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: Joe Offer Date: 27 Nov 99 - 08:39 AM LaMarca, five bucks a book sounds pretty good to me. I think I did pretty well paying $20 a volume for the Dover reprints of the Child Ballads. In reality, I should have gotten those five Child books for $25, but there were so many $250 sets out there that I jumped at $100. The collectors who may not even look inside the books are beating those prices up to the sky. I think you'd better jump at five bucks a book before Joe Offer finds out who's selling the books.... -Himself- |
Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: Lesley N. Date: 27 Nov 99 - 01:11 PM Not if I find out first Joe! |
Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: BK Date: 27 Nov 99 - 01:16 PM Sounds fair to me; I just paid 30+ ea, for two versions of "Sun & Saddle Leather" - an old one w/extra materials & "dedicated by the author," which means little to me, & a 50's reprint in dramatically better shape I'll use for a birthday present. Good Luck! BK |
Subject: RE: Help: Pills to Purge Melancholy 2 From: lamarca Date: 28 Nov 99 - 07:35 PM Back from the beach again...Thanks, all - I figure I'll offer $60-90 for the set (which is the 1959 Folklore Library Publishers reprint of the 1876 edition); that's $20-$30 a volume. Now if I could only find volume 1 of Bronson at a price I can afford (I have vols. 2-4...)! |
Subject: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: GUEST,Sandra Date: 20 Apr 01 - 09:09 AM I have a copy of Durfey's songbook "Pills to purge Melancholy" Vol V, 1719 in excellent condition except slight spine damage. Does anyone have any info about this set? Are they common? Are they worth anything? |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: phil h Date: 20 Apr 01 - 09:29 AM Try looking it up on a 2nd hand book search site such as this one:- http://www.addall.com/Used/ The full set of your first edition would be very desireable and valuable, I don't know what individual volumes are worth. Phil |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: GUEST,Bruce O. Date: 20 Apr 01 - 10:22 AM Sorry, but I don't think it's going to be worth a whole lot. The six volume 1719-20 edition was a big one (I've seen 2 sets of all six volumes), and a single volume that's not in real good shape is not going to be worth a lot. That edition was also reprinted in the 19th and 20th centuries. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: Charley Noble Date: 20 Apr 01 - 01:42 PM However, the songbook would be of great interest to those who want a large collection of 17th century ballads and poems to paw through, some quite bawdy. There's even a bawdy housing song called "A Tenement to Let." Someone ought to pass that one on to Landlady's Daughter if she ever shows up again. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: MMario Date: 20 Apr 01 - 01:57 PM Do you have a scanner? *hint* |
Subject: RE: From Pills to Purge Melancholy From: M.Ted Date: 20 Apr 01 - 03:05 PM We never did get an answer on the dates for PPM--if Dave and Doug still have it (as the post seems to indicate) it would be very simple to just check to see if Dave simply mis-remembered, or if it is something that must be further explored-- |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: Mr Red Date: 21 Apr 01 - 06:22 AM It all depends whether you are buying or selling try asking people for a copy and they become so rare you just dun gotta have it at the price! when all said and done it is a first edition even if only a part of a set Does the Guttengurg Project have any of the text? I would personally treasure it, but then I believe in the value of the content, rather than the medium. Its why I like Folk and Mudcat (E&OE) |
Subject: RE: From Pills to Purge Melancholy From: M.Ted Date: 21 Apr 01 - 12:32 PM There are only a few people who can bring threads back without posting anything to them--meanwhile, I really want to know about that printing date(sorry to be so weird, but..) |
Subject: RE: From Pills to Purge Melancholy From: Dave Swan Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:03 PM About the printing date. Indeed,I misremembered. Our edition was printed in 1719 and rests in an newer binding. That binding has begun to deteriorate over the years, as you can see by clicking here for a photo of our edition of Pills Again, the point of the story wasn't to attempt the great printing hoax of 1999, but to give some folks a chuckle concerning human communication. Takes all kinds,I guess. |
Subject: RE: From Pills to Purge Melancholy From: M.Ted Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:58 PM Thanks for the clarification, Dave. I am always curious about source material, time and place of origin, and the source of the source (of course, of course!). I am also interested in, and terribly amused by, anything funny having to do with place names. If you can mix the two, so much the better-- By the way, does anyone know if this has been reprinted in full recently? |
Subject: RE: From Pills to Purge Melancholy From: M.Ted Date: 22 Apr 01 - 02:47 AM I meant more recent than the 1959 three volume compilation--I did, in fact, wade through the thread a couple times, when it originally appeared (were those the good old days?) and yesterday--I guess I should've just looked it up at one of the used book sites |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: GUEST,Sandra Date: 23 Apr 01 - 08:39 AM Sorry MMario I dont have a scanner otherwise I would be willing to take the hint......... |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy From: GUEST,Bruce O. Date: 23 Apr 01 - 09:30 AM Mr. Red, the 1719-20 edition of Pills was the 4th edition. |
Subject: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: GUEST,sdean@ulster.net Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:22 AM I found out from John Roberts that D'Urfey's "Wit and Mirth, Pills to Purge Melancholy" is back in print from Higginson Books in Salem, MA. This is a monumental work of ballads and songs...orignally published by Playford, no less, and like the dances, it went through multiple editions. It has been out of print for years, is very dear as a rare book and quite large. For those not familiar, much of the work is *most* bawdy.........some of the songs have been posted here.... For more about D'Urfey and some sample songs: http://www.contemplator.com/history/durfey.html http://dept.english.upenn.edu/~jlynch/Courses/95c/Texts/pills.html The three volume (actually, it's 6 volumes bound as 3) set is $225 + $8.50 shipping in the US. Since each set of volumes is printed to order, it takes 8-10 weeks from order to delivery, I am to understand that you can have it printed either on white or off-white paper stock. HB's phone number is 978-745-7170, their hours 10AM to 7PM EST. URL is: http://www.higginsonbooks.com They more usually reprint maps and genealogical books, thus this is out of their usual line; if whomever you contact at HB doesn't know about W&M, ask them to speak to Larry Young, an HB employee and musician/singer who made the reprint happen. So far W&M does not appear on their website |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: MMario Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:48 AM fantastic! still a bit pricey for me, but nice to know it is available. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Kim C Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:50 AM Oh boy! Looks like I'll be saving up me pennies. :-) |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: M.Ted Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:57 AM Still cheaper than copies of earlier printings! |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: GUEST,JohnB Date: 19 Feb 02 - 12:11 PM I was just talking with a friend this last weekend about the same book. I said I would love a copy. Now I have to determine if I would love a copy at that price. I only have Canadian Dolloars to spend and it's even more of those tiny little things. JohnB |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Jim Dixon Date: 19 Feb 02 - 02:10 PM Let's all email our local public libraries and university libraries and recommend that THEY buy it. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Gypsy Date: 19 Feb 02 - 02:15 PM COOL! Mebbe a large house will get on the ball, and make cheaper copies for us, too. Sounds like a "Books on demand" kinda place you found. Have used them, particularly for my beloved Bronsons Child Ballads, and they are terrific. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: masato sakurai Date: 01 Apr 07 - 09:34 AM These are available online at Internet Archive. The titles are different, but the contents are the same as Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy (Folklore Library Publishers reprint (1959) of 1876 edition): Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (Volume 1) (1719) Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (1719) (title page: Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy, vol. 2) Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (Volume 3) (1719) Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (Volume 4) (1719) Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (Volume 5) (1719) Songs compleat, pleasant and divertive, set to musick (Volume 6) (1720) |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Bill D Date: 01 Apr 07 - 11:31 AM Thank you, masato! Downloading the .pdf files now. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: masato sakurai Date: 24 Jan 08 - 04:35 AM Volumes available at Google Book Search are: Vol. 1 (1719) Vol. 2 (1719) Vol. 4 (1719) Vol. 6 (1720). |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: pavane Date: 24 Jan 08 - 04:49 AM You say bawdy, but that is only a contemporary judgement. When originally published, I think they were regarded as quite acceptable! (I used to have access to a copy at my local library, but that was many years ago.) |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: JohnInKansas Date: 24 Jan 08 - 05:47 AM Thanks for the refresh, pavane. When this thread popped up previously, I was on dialup and the book was "untouchable" that way - even to look at the .txt versions. The .pdf downloads with my new DSL worked flawlessly. Now I have to figure out whether to tell all my local "friends(?)" I've got it in hand. John |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Jan 08 - 07:01 PM JohninKansas has DSL--look out world, he's going to download some files! :) |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Celtaddict Date: 24 Jan 08 - 09:30 PM I am still worried by John reporting he is downloading bawdy songs and says he has 'got it in hand. . .' |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:24 PM ooooooooooooooooooooo.... |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: JohnInKansas Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:38 PM You guys worry all you want. Just believe - I know what to do with it. Not too long ago I went to the city library to download a 47 MB file that I couldn't get through my dial-up. Best estimate was only about 5 hours for the dial-up download, but the connection was never stable for that long. The library has a "one hour limit" for users on their computers, and I had to leave the download running when they kicked me off. An hour later I got back on the machine and managed to find the file and burn a CD. My "plain vanilla" DSL is at least 5x as fast as the "high speed" connection at the library. Not surprising, as the "guy" who told me "he wrote all the library programs" didn't know what either "DSL" or "T1" meant, or what kind of connection the library has. The library in Higgins TX (population about 18 if you count dogs and chickens) has a better connection than I've been able to get to until we got our current DSL. The 6 .pdf files linked when I saw this thread previously run up to about 60 MB (269 MB total for the six), so getting them now is something for which I'm truly grateful. And it took less than an hour. Note that the Google books ones linked later (24 Jan 08 - 04:35 AM) although incomplete are a lot smaller (31.5 MB for four volumes) and don't look too bad, for those still not wanting to make the bigger downloads. If you can handle around 10 - 12 MB at a shot, they're "accessible." I'm surprised that the earlier (01 Apr 07 - 09:34 AM) links show only 30 to 40 downloads. They've been up for some time now, and I'd have expected fairly large demand for the books. Lots of people must have "size troubles" - possibly including some here(?). John |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:38 PM Ed McCurdy used this collection for his classic "Dalliance" recordings. I made the mistake of calling them "bawdy" once and Ed corrected me "They are not bawdy - they are erotic". |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Jan 08 - 12:22 PM Wonderful! I have a book of my Dad's with a selection of the songs, it appears. The title is Sixty Ribald Songs from Pills to Purge Melancoly, selected and edited with introduction notes and glossary, by S.A.J. Bradley. London, Andre Deutch Limited, copyright 1968. SRS |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 03 Mar 08 - 12:52 AM Interestingly, I was able to download the files via dialup. It helps to have apps that allow 'start-stop' downloads, and the ability to set priorities. The time of many hours can be done in the background (even with 'obslete' s/w) and even interlaced with other downloads. |
Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy IN PRINT! From: JohnB Date: 21 Sep 08 - 11:06 PM Still with $*%*in dial up. JohnB. |
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