1890 Rare Book - The Lancashire Witches by William Harrison Ainsworth

Author: William Harrison Ainsworth.
Title: The Lancashire Witches: A Romance of Pendle Forest.
Publisher: London, George Routledge and Sons, Limited, no date (1890). Author’s Copyright Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" x 5".
Pages: vii-564 pages + publisher's catalog.
Binding: Near fine original publisher’s red cloth binding with gilt titling to the front board and spine (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with the striking black-and-white frontispiece illustration of witches flying through the air, captioned "The Ride Through the Murky Air". 

The book: A handsomely bound Author’s Copyright Edition of William Harrison Ainsworth’s most famous historical novel, The Lancashire Witches, based on the infamous 17th-century Pendle witch trials. Ainsworth weaves together folklore, Gothic horror, and local history into a vividly imagined tale of sorcery, persecution, and retribution set amidst the mist-shrouded landscapes of Northern England. This Routledge edition preserves the melodramatic illustrations and baroque charm that made the novel a Victorian favorite.

The author: William Harrison Ainsworth (1805–1882) was a prolific English historical novelist, often compared to Sir Walter Scott for his flair in blending romance and fact. Best known for his vivid reconstructions of England’s past, Ainsworth gained fame for novels such as Rookwood, Jack Sheppard, and The Lancashire Witches. His flair for theatricality and Gothic suspense made him a staple of Victorian popular fiction.