'The Comic History of Rome' by Gilbert Abbott à Beckett, illustrated by John Leech. Published by Bradbury & Evans, c.1851.
8vo. Three-quarter bound in read leather with five raised bands to the spine, each gilt tooled, and gilt stamped title to the spine. Marbled boards. Marbled page edges. There is some light signs of shelf wear commensurate with age but generally the volume is in a very good condition externally.
Plain endpapers. Historic gift inscription to the front flyleaf. Pictorial title page and frontispiece present. Some light age tone to the preliminary page but generally the pages are in a very good condition throughout.
Synopsis
This work is a humorous look at the people and events of ancient Rome from its foundation to the assassination of Julius Caesar. In his introduction, à Beckett wrote that, 'The writer of this book is animated by an earnest wish to aid, as far as he is able, in the project of combining instruction with amusement.' Largely, however, to modern eyes the humour lies not in à Beckett's somewhat dated text but rather in Leech's illustrations, which, with their top-hat and toga wearing patricians directly lampoon Victorian society.
Dimensions
Height: 21.75
Width: 14.5cm
Delivery
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