Book Description

(1) Fulness of Christ. London: Religious Tract Society, [c. 1835], 6pp., lacking final leaf (2) On the word of God. London: Religious Tract Society, [c. 1835], 8pp. (3) On remembering our Creator in the days of our youth. London: C.J.G. & F. Rivington, 1813, 12pp., (4) The nature and importance of repentance. London: Religious Tract Society, [c. 1835], 12pp. (5) New Pocket Companion for Oxford. [Oxford: for J. Cooke, near the Clarendon Printing House, ?1796], pp. 7–34, 39-46 only (of 52), 4 (of 7) engraved plates. The plates present are: Radcliffe’s Library and part of All Souls College; Magdalen College New Building; Part of All Souls College; New College from the East. This work was continually updated and reprinted from the mid-eighteenth century until at least 1817. Our copy, although it lacks the title-page, agrees exactly with the Bodleian Library’s copy of the 1796 edition and we tentatively date it thus. We have compared our surviving pages with those of various nineteenth century editions (1805, 1810, 1815, 1816) but these have all been reset. Only four copies of the 1796 edition are listed on ESTC. (6) Lenglet Dufresnoy, Nicolas. Geography for Children. [London: ?Rivington, c. 1810] pp. 7—46 (pp 43—44 mutilated), 49—136 only, lacking plates. A regularly reissued title. It would seem that, unlike some works, this rather fun book on geography, in the form of questions and answers, was updated. Although lacking the title– and final pages, thus giving no indication of printer or date, editions seen after 1815 to add ‘at present it is again an absolute monarchy; the Bourbon family having been restored’ to the question on ‘Government of France’ to the answer on France reproduced opposite. (7) A present for servants. [F. C. & J. Rivington, c. 1820], pp.3—54 (of ?60), a near complete copy of a work that was latterly printed for the SPCK. The contents include ‘advantage of a time for youth’ and ‘sinful familiarity of servants of different sexes’. This may be the edition of 1818. (8) Cupid’s Bower. [London: Dean and Munday, c. 1830], pp. 15—26 only of 26. A very rare collection of ‘original valentines calculated to convey the sentiments of the heart in language neat, chaste, and expressive’. The author or compiler seems to have had a particular fancy for the name Emma as a number of the love poems are directed to a lady of that name. The only copy of this edition we can trace is in the University of Winconsin. (9) ?New Chapels. [?1843], pp. 115-117 only, three illustrations, two leaves only, the second used as the rear pastedown 158 x 100mm. front pastedown from an advertisement for Sir Henry Halford’s medical products including his ‘Royal Family Pills’ and ‘Celebrated Cough Pills’. A woodcut of Sir Henry shows him with the ‘four successive sovereigns’ he served as family physician. He died in 1844, so soon after this advertisement was probably printed.
Dealer Notes
How these pieces came to be bound together will forever remain a mystery but, even in their incomplete state, must have had a major significance for someone, either as a memento of times past or persons departed. It is probably best to see this as a survival in the same way a scrapbook might be. An intriguing mystery and scarce survival of (presumably) working class reading in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Author Nine Pamphlets bound in one volume
Binding near contemporary paper over cardboard

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