Pills to Purge Melancholy

Subject: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: GUEST,Greum
Date: 06 May 26 - 10:15 AM

I have found vols 5 and 6 of PPM on Project Gutenberg. Does anyone know if vols 1 to 4 are available anywhere online? Thx

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 May 26 - 10:48 AM

If you open Google Books the results show at least that many volumes plus the Bradley Sixty Ribald Songs from Pills to Purge Melancholy. Since those original volumes are free of copyright you'll be able to open the books. (I randomly clicked on a couple of them and they open fine.) The Bradley book is under copyright so it shows you where you can buy a copy or lets you search libraries.

It looks like they ran OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the books where they could so they may be somewhat searchable.

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 06 May 26 - 11:51 AM

archive.org, as far as I remember, has all volumes in more than one edition (1719 and the 1965 reissue of 1876 are on my computer.)

Mick

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 May 26 - 06:56 PM

Archive.org (the Wayback Machine) is always an excellent source. They also have a lending library of some books under copyright, so if the Bradley book is in the collection you might be able to check it out to read from the site.

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: GUEST,Greum
Date: 09 May 26 - 11:16 AM

Thanks, guys

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 11 May 26 - 08:52 AM

Note that there are various editions and printings done from 1705-1720s. The "original" 18th century editions have long S in the text.

There is an 1876 reprint of six volumes (which as later reprinted by Kenneth Goldstien in 1959).   But the songs included are different and in different volumes from what I can tell.

I have digitized and uploaded two volumes of my personal copies of volume 4 and 5:

Wit And Mirth Or Pills To Purge Melancholy Vol 4 Second Edition (1709)

Wit And Mirth Pills To Purge Melancholy Vol 5 (1714)



Other 18th century editions at archive.org include:

Wit and mirth: or pills to purge melancholy; being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. ... 1705 This appears to be a 1st edition of the 1st volume.

Wit and mirth: or, pills to purge melancholy. Being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. ... 1707. Volume 1, Third edition.

Wit and mirth; or pills to purge melancholy; being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. Fitted to all humours, having each their proper tune for either voice, or Instrument: Most of the songs being new set. Vol. V. 1719: Vol 1.   Volume 1, fourth edition. New songs and additions.



Pills to purge state-melancholy: part the second. Being a collection of excellent new ballads. 1718 This appears to be a 1st edition of the 2nd volume. Note it says on the title page where one can purchase the 1st volume.

Wit and mirth: or, pills to purge melancholy. Being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. ... 1707-12-01: Vol 2. Volume 2, second edition. Notes additional songs and corrections.



Wit and mirth: or, pills to purge melancholy. Being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. ... 1707-12-01: Vol 3. Volume 3, second edition. Several new songs, large additions, and carefully corrected.



Wit and mirth: or pills to purge melancholy; being a choice collection of the best merry ballads, ... Being carefully corrected by Mr. J. Lenton. Vol. IV. 1707. Volume 4. Presumed first edition (no edition stated).

Wit and mirth: or, pills to purge melancholy. Being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. ... 1707-12-01: Vol 4. Volume 4, second edition. With additions, carefully corrected.

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Jack Horntip
Date: 12 May 26 - 06:57 AM

Just uploaded my other variants:


Wit And Mirth Or Pills To Purge Melancholy Vol 2, Third Edition (1712). Volume 2, third edition. Several new songs and poems. Carefully corrected.


Wit And Mirth Or Pills To Purge Melancholy Vol 3 Third Edition (1712). Volume 3, third edition. Several new songs with large additions carefully corrected.

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 May 26 - 09:53 AM

Excellent! And a note here to acknowledge the work that goes into scanning the book with each pair of facing pages then cropping them into individual pages to upload.

Subject: RE: Pills to Purge Melancholy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 12 May 26 - 03:33 PM

I have the 1959 6 vol set 1719-20 published in NY Folklore Socy. Is there anything significantly different in any of the earlier volumes please?