BALLADS AND SONGS OF LANCASHIRE: CHIEFLY OLDER THAN THE 19TH CENTURY
London, England: Whittaker & Co., 1865. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. Green cloth boards with lovely embossed design to front board, in gilt, featuring a central medallion, surrounded by seven, double-ruled circles with symbols inside (harp, cup and flagon of wine; bow and arrows, crossed swords, cross and communion cup, sword encircled by sheaf of wheat, and a hunting horn. Designs all "knit" together with oak leaves and flowers. Boards (upper and lower), ruled in blind. Gilt titling to spine. Brown clay-based endpapers with previous owner's bookplate to front pastedown. Rubbing to extremities, but quite moderate. Title page in red and black. The collection begins with a "Fragment of an Ancient Ballad of a Tyrannical Husband" who claims his wife is idle all day while he is at plough, so they agree to switch jobs. Pages age-toned, but supple, and easy to turn. 63 ballads or songs. Head and tail pieces at chapters' beginnings and ends.281 pp. plus 4 pp. advertising at rear. Very tightly bound. Good Plus. Item #88730
Price: $125.00