1859 Rare Victorian Book - Reliques of Ancient English Poetry and Old Heroic Ballads collected by Thomas Percy. Illustrated.
(Description)
Author: Thomas Percy, Lord Bishop of Dromore. Edited by Robert Aris Willmott. Edward Corbould, Illustrator.
Title: Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs, and Other Pieces of Our Earlier Poets, Together with Some Few of Later Date.
Publisher: London, Routledge, Warne, and Routledge, 1859. New Edition.
Language: Text in English
Size: 6.5" X 4.5".
Pages: lxxvi-610 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine beautiful red Morocco leather binding with intricate gold tooling on both the spine and covers. Raised bands on the spine (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges are gilt.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing mainly on the plates margins - as shown, bookplate of Henry Goulburn Chetwynd Stapylton on the first endpaper - as shown, 1862 fold-out examination sheet paste on the blank page facing the half-title page - as shown, name of a previous owner N.G. Chetwynd Stapylton, dated December 1862, on the half-title page - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with the frontispiece portrait of Thomas Percy and seven detailed full-page woodcuts by Edward Corbould.
The book: Rare edition in a very attractive binding of The Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (sometimes known as Reliques of Ancient Poetry or simply Percy's Reliques). This classic work is a compilation of ancient English poetry, featuring ballads such as 'Chevy Chase' and 'Dowsabel'. It is a significant edition with historical illustrations, making it a valuable collector’s piece.
The author: Thomas Percy (1729–1811) was an English antiquarian and bishop, known for his efforts to preserve ancient English ballads and songs. His work 'Reliques of Ancient English Poetry' became an important influence on later Romantic poets.
The illustrator: Edward Henry Corbould, R.I. (5 December 1815 in London – 18 January 1905 in London) was a British artist, noted as a historical painter and watercolourist.