Journal to Stella Letters to Esther Johnson and Rebecca Dingley, 1710}}}1713 [Hardcover]

First critical edition for over 50 years, it sheds new light on Swift, his relationships and the historical period.These letters were written during the most politically active period of Swift's life, and offer an insider's view of British political life at a pivotal point in eighteenth-century history. The letters also offer a glimpse into the intimacy of some of Swift's closest friendships.These letters were written during the most politically active period of Swift's life, and offer an insider's view of British political life at a pivotal point in eighteenth-century history. The letters also offer a glimpse into the intimacy of some of Swift's closest friendships.The Journal to Stella offers a detailed commentary on Swift's experiences in London in the last years of Queen Anne's reign, and substantial evidence of his evolving relationship with Esther Johnson, or Stella. This new edition seeks for the first time both to situate the text alongside Swift's other works, and to draw on recent scholarship on the period to offer commentary and annotation, which will place it within its original political, historical and cultural contexts. It offers transcriptions of the manuscript portion of the letters, based on the latest digital image analysis techniques. These will represent the text for the first time, complete with his purposeful obliterations. In addition to a new critical introduction and appendices, there is also a biographical appendix derived from recently available resources from the History of Parliament, Irish History of Parliament and ODNB projects.General editor's preface; Chronology; Introduction; Letters; Textual account; Appendices; Bibliography.'Magisterial &' London Review of Books