Information from Special Collections and Author Information
- Call Number:
- Full Title:
- The works of Mr Abraham Cowley : consisting of those which were formerly printed, and those wich he design’d for the press, now published out of the authors original copies
- Main Author:
- Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667
- Other Author(s):
- Sprat, Thomas, 1653-1713 (Writer of supplemental textual context)
- Maycock, John (Printer)
- Herringman, Henry, ? – 1704 (Bookseller)
- Faithorne, William, 1616-1691 (Engraver)
- Published:
- London : Printed by J[ohn]. M[acock]. for Henry Herringman, at the sign of the Bluew [sic] Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange, 1674
- Edition:
- 4th Edition
Author Biographical Information
Born in 1618 in London, England, Abraham Cowley had an affinity for writing from a young age. Cowley even had his first poem published at the age of 15. After attending school in Oxford, he created a successful career for himself, where he wrote his own works and translated works from antiquity. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, Cowley was ejected from England during the English Civil War and went on to work for the Queen’s Court abroad until his return in 1656. In 1660, his English citizenship status was restored, and he returned to England. After his passing in 1667, he was buried in Westminster Abbey in Poets’ Corner.
Abraham Cowley helped to revolutionize and modernize the English language. His impact on English as a language and on making old works of literature accessible to English speakers is insurmountable. That being said, his memory is very faint to present-day English speakers.
About the Book
Brief Book Summary
The works of Mr Abraham Cowley : consisting of those which were formerly printed, and those which he design’d for the press, now published out of the authors original copies, is a list of the poems and essays written by Abraham Cowley. The book itself first opens with a brief tale of the life of Abraham Cowley. After the tale of Cowley’s life by his friend Thomas Sprat, there is a preface by the author. Once that Preface is done, the book itself dives into its conent, the works of Abraham Cowley.
The book then dives into the works of Abraham Cowley by introducing the reader to his poems. The rest of the book collection has all of the surviving written works of Abraham Cowley at the time of his death, which include his poems, essays, translations, and plays he had written in his lifetime. The book itself is broken up into 5 different sections.
1. Miscellanies
2. The mistress, or, Several copies of love-verses
3. Pindarique odes : written in imitation of the stile & manner of the odes of Pindar
4. Davideis : a sacred poem of the troubles of David. Davideidos : liber primus
5. Verses written on several occasions. A proposition for the advancement of experimental philosophy. A discourse by way of vision, concerning the government of Oliver Cromwell. Several discourses by way of essays, in verse and prose.
Marks of Usage
Physical Descriptions of the Book and Marks of Provenance
Though the book has few written annotations, it is full of foxing and contains two signatures between the front board of the book and the first couple of leaves. The first signature is on the first leaf recto. The second signature is on the title page, off to the side, but tucked into the title. The book itself could be seen as a collection of other books, and it is divided into 5 sections. There are engravings throughout the book; the most notable one being the engraving of Abraham Cowley himself. There are different title pages throughout the book itself, and there are engravings around the text of the title page to add to the ornate design.
Trail of Ownership Timeline
Elizabeth Newcomen
Based on the records I was able to find on Elizabeth Newcomen in England, I was able to find a death certificate of an Elizabeth Newcomen who passed away in 1675. My theory is that she had bought this book one year before her death. Not much is known about Elizabeth Newcomen, and the particular Elizabeth Newcomen I found had passed away right around the time The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley was published. The Elizabeth Newcomen is memorialized today in Southwark Cathedral in Southwark, England. Her memorial within the church mentions how she left a large sum of money upon her death for education and the betterment of her community. Her money was taken and used to create a school in her honor.
The Very Reverend J. Montgomery (1818 – 1897)
Researching the Very Reverend J. Montgomery was quite an interesting task. Initially, my research led me into a dead end. I tried to see how far I could go by just researching the name “Very Reverend J. Montgomery,” but I discovered quickly that my research would become very daunting and give me many different results. Thankfully, I was able to find the bookseller’s description, which was able to help me narrow down who J. Montgomery really was.
The bookseller’s description that came with the purchase of The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley from the estate of Dr. Wayne H. Phelps helped bring my search down to a Very Reverend James Montgomery, who lived during the 20th century in Edinburgh.
The picture here is the bookseller’s description provided by MSU Special Collections.
The Very Reverend James Montgomery (1818-1897) was a pioneer in photography and served as the Dean of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh, which made Montgomery a very important figure in Scotland during his lifetime. Montgomery did publish some literary works himself, so given his specific interest in literature, it does make sense as to why he would own a copy of The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley. Outside of his interest in literature and publishing his own works, Montgomery was also a pioneer in photography. The Dean himself was one of the youngest members of the Edinburgh Calotype Club, one of the worlds earliest photography societies.
The picture here is the headstone of the Very Reverend J. Montgomery (1818-1897).
James Thin
Unfortunately, there is a gap in information about who owned The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley. Within the purchase record that is in Special Collections, the name James Thin is mentioned. This is actually the name of a bookshop in Edinburgh, UK, where academic books were once sold. This shop is now (as of 2026) out of business. But the bookseller’s description that Dr. Wayne H. Phelps had said he bought The works of Mr Abraham Cowley from the James Thin Book Shop.
The James Thin Book Shop was extremely influential in Edinburgh. The shop itself was originally founded in 1848 by James Thin himself and once he retired, he would leave the bookshop to the next five generations of the Thin Family.
Wayne H. Phelps
Dr. Wayne H. Phelps (1938 – 2023) was a professor of English who had worked at a couple of different universities throughout his career. Dr. Phelps received his Bachelor’s in English from St. Lawrence University in New York. He went on to get his Master’s degree as well as his PhD from Princeton. A prolific educator in English for his entire life, Dr. Phelps worked at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, from 1962 to 1972 and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from 1972 to 1977. Dr. Phelps also served as a Research Associate of academy programs for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia from 1978 to 1980.
Dr. Phelps himself had a great interest in Shakespeare from a young age, which led to his interst in books from Medieval Europe and before. Dr. Phelps was a life long rare book collector, which lead to a very vast personal library by the time he passed away in 2023.
My theory is that Dr. Phelps had traveled to Edinburgh during his time at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, more specifically in 1970, and had purchased this specific copy of The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley from the James Thin Bookshop. It is noted in the Special Collections Holdings that this copy was purchased from the estate of Dr. Phelps after he passed away in 2023. This book has been at Michigan State University since its purchase within the Special Collections Department of the Library.
| Year | Owner | Location |
| 1674 | – | London, England |
| 1675 | Elizabeth Newcomen | London, England |
| Anytime between 1818 and 1897 | Very Rev. J Montogramry | Edinburgh, UK |
| Before 1970 | James Thin | Edinburgh, UK |
| 1970 | Wayne H. Phelps | Canton, New York, USA |
| 2023 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan, USA |
Supplemental Sources on why Abraham Cowley is not remembered
Bibliography for More Sources on Abraham Colwey.
Clemson.edu. “Abraham Cowley (1618-1667) – Clemson University Press,” 2017. https://libraries.clemson.edu/press/books/abraham-cowley-1618-1667/.
Nethercot, Arthur H. “The Reputation of Abraham Cowley (1660-1800).” PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 38, no. 3 (September 1923): 588–641. https://doi.org/10.2307/457334.
Sheehy, Stella F. “Abraham Cowley, the Transitional Poet.” ECommons Loyola University Chicago, 1938. https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1364&context=luc_theses
Biblography
Bibliography
digital.nls.uk. “Pencils of Light – National Library of Scotland,” n.d. https://digital.nls.uk/pencilsoflight/history.htm.
Donaldsonfh.com. “Wayne Howe Phelps,” 2023. https://www.donaldsonfh.com/obituaries/Wayne-Howe-Phelps?obId=27158471.
Faithorne, William. Mr: Abraham Cowley~. 1687.
Findagrave.com. “Elizabeth Newcomen (Unknown-1675) – Find a Grave…,” 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115080505/elizabeth-newcomen.
Foundation, Poetry. “Abraham Cowley.” Poetry Foundation, March 26, 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/abraham-cowley.
Funeral Portrait of Wayne Howe Phelps. n.d.
Headstone of the Very Reverend J. Montgomery (1818-1897). n.d.
Hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com. “James Montgomery,” 2026. https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Biographies/james_montgomery.htm.
James Thin Storefront from the Edinburgh News. n.d. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/retro/17-lost-edinburgh-businesses-that-locals-miss-including-brattisanis-famous-chippy-and-james-thin-bookshop-4421085.
Lely, Sir Peter. Painting of Abraham Cowley. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Cowley.
Msu.edu. “Holdings: The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley : Consisting of Those Which Were Formerly Printed, and Those Which He Design’d for the Press, Now Published out of the Authors Original Copies. :: Library Catalog,” 2026. https://catalog.lib.msu.edu/Record/folio.in00006877913?sid=86790024#details.
Newcomencollett.org.uk. “Newcomen Collett Educational Foundation – History,” 2024. https://newcomencollett.org.uk/history.html.
PixelToCode isnt.co.uk. “Westminster Abbey.” Westminster Abbey, 2019. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/abraham-cowley.
Thepeerage.com. “Person Page,” 2019. https://thepeerage.com/p26253.htm#i262528.
Wikipedia Contributors. “James Montgomery (Priest).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, February 24, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Montgomery_(priest).
———. “James Thin.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, March 8, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thin.
Created by Morgan Schwarz in the Spring of 2026 for Professor Brockey’s History of the Book Class (HST 475) at Michigan State University.
Special thanks to Tad Boehmer, Andrew Lundeen, Garrett Sumner, and Janette Núñez for all of their help and continuous support.
