Thissole edition is ornamented with a woodcut printer’s device and a woodcut headpiece and initial; the text is referenced with sidenotes.

Rare: Only two copies traced in the U.S. via OCLC, RLIN, and NUC Pre-1956.

Provenance: Bookplate of Virtue & Cahill Library (the library of Portsmouth’s Catholic Cathedral) no. 8783, with a large overlaid rubber-stamp thereon starkly, blackly noting the dispersal and eventual sale of the library “following enemy action”—the cathedral having been bombed by the Germans in 1941.

•  On Allix, see: The Dictionary of National Biography, I, 334–35. 19th- or early 20th-century half calf over marbled paper, spine with gilt title; edges of leather with a dog’s tooth roll in blind. Leather rubbed, especially on joints and edges. Some soiling and waterstaining, mostly light and most notable on early leaves, with some small wormholes in the margins; a little fine chipping and some shallow dog-ears. Old inked ownership inscription on title-page, crossed out but still legible.

Contents: “Little George and the Apple-Tree,” “History of Beasts,” “The History of Harry Headless; showing how carelessness leads to Trouble,” “The Four Seasons,” “Pretty Stories for Good Children,” “An Alphabet of Lessons for Children,” “Good Child's Soliloquy,” “The Journey,” “The Hymn Book,” “Morning and Evening,” “The Child's Devotion,” “Dialogue Between a Brother and Sister, concerning salvation by Christ.”

•  Contemporary gilt-stamped red leather over marbled paper-covered boards. Covers with surface cracks and abrasions; bumped and exposed on corners. Front cover showing evidence of now removed label; back cover with odd lettering(?) in black marker. Waterstaining throughout, very variable. An early gift inscription on front free endpaper. Despite its “visible history,” charming.  (23463)

The main title-page has an engraved vignette, with three small portions hand-colored in red; the second, third, and fourth books have separate title-pages.

•  On Ames, see: Dictionary of National Biography.   Contemporary calf, framed and panelled in gilt double fillets with gilt-stamped corner fleurons, spine with gilt-stamped decorations between raised bands; leather rubbed at corners, chipped at spine extremities (especially the bottom), front joint cracked and back joint starting. Front pastedown with institutional rubber-stamp. A few instances of marginalia in a neat, small, early inked hand. One leaf with small hole resulting in loss of two or three words. Pages slightly age-toned, otherwise clean.A nice little volume of its kind. (21092)

•  ESTC T96164.   Recent marbled paper–covered boards, front cover with gilt-stamped leather title-label. Pages slightly age-toned, else clean. (20770)

•  Library Company, Afro-Americana, 657.  Publisher's brown cloth, covers blind-stamped, spine with gilt-stamped title; corners rubbed, spine extremities chipped, spine gilt oxidized, spine with inked call number and small paper label. Front pastedown with institutional presentation bookplate dated 1888. Pages clean.  (21133)

•  ESTC T108041. On Arnall, see: The Dictionary of National Biography, II, 103). Removed from a nonce volume and now in a Mylar folder. Final page stamped by a now-defunct institution. Small area of worming in lower outer corner throughout, not touching text.

Single-click the image,
for an enlargement.

•  NSTC 2A16362. On Arnold, see: DNB, II, 113–17. Removed from a nonce volume. A few dog ears, some shallow chipping, and traces of soiling. A little underlining and sidelining in old ink.

This example is apparently a variant state of the first edition of 1712 (ESTC does not distinguish between variants, grouping all entries under one listing), with p. 61, line 8 ending “of the Romish Persuasion.’

•  ESTC T41498. On Asgill, see: The Dictionary of National Biography, II, 159–61. Removed from a nonce volume, now in a Mylar folder. Title-page with small numeric stamp, spots of discoloration. A few pages more notably browned than their neighbors; otherwise generally clean.

A copy with underlining andextensive notes in English throughout: e.g., “For three things men’s sins are forgiven, special honor, sickness, weddings.”

•  Cowley, A Concise Catalog...Bodleian Library p. 298, 419; Steinschneider Catalogus Librorum, nr. 5545, 29. Marbled paper over cardboard, much rubbed and chipped; spine rebacked with heavy black tape. Rubber library stamp on bottom edge. Some staining and chipping and closely trimmed by binder, resulting in loss of letters at end or beginning of some lines. Notes in pencil, blue pencil, and ink as stated—evidence of use that to us makes this copy of the text more interesting, rather than less desirable!

•  ESTC W35823; Evans 35119. Contemporary sheep, spine with red leather title label; abraded with a few wormholes (including one track across spine) and front joint opening. Some pages quite stained, not impairing reading; a couple instances of chipping in margins with loss of letters. Front free endpaper excised. Pp. 433–44 pinned together in the inside margin. Pencil doodlings on half-title and p. [5].

Provenance: Ownership inscription on front pastedown of Juan de Porras, dated Madrid, 1687; and another on the title-page of José de Quitana y Azevedo, an Audiencia judge, dated Santafé de Bogotá, 1732. Bookplate of a 20th-century American collector who lived for a while in Bogotá — pictured.

•  Palau 28935; Peeters-Fontainas, Bibliographie des impressions espagnoles des Pays-Bas Méridionaux, 72. Contemporary limp vellum with remnants of button and loop closures. Title on spine in old ink; raised bands and remnants of a paper spine-label. Interior waterstaining and many pages dog-eared; half-title and title-page missing pieces, not affecting any text. Library stamp on title-page partially eradicated; charming old (20th-century) private bookplate inside front cover. (20850)

Binding: Publisher’s color-illustrated wrappers, chromolithographed by F. Motas, Philadelphia.

•  Binding as above, spine reinforced with cellophane tape, corners and edges worn, back wrapper creased. Sewing going; pages slightly age-toned, otherwise clean, with a few corners dog-eared.