COMIC HISTORY of ENGLAND by A'BECKETT/200+ PICTURES by JOHN LEECH/LEATHER/ 1864

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COMIC HISTORY of ENGLAND by A'BECKETT/200+ PICTURES by JOHN LEECH/LEATHER/ 1864 THE COMIC HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BY GILBERT ABBOTT A'BECKETT. COLORED ETCHINGS AND WOODCUTS BY JOHN LEECH. TWO VOLUMES IN ONE. London: Punch Office, 1864. Scarce. A handsome leather-bound book containing 10 handcolored etchings and 200 other illustrations by John Leech. This book is solid and complete and in nice condition, with all illustrations, original leather covers and a recent leather spine. Published nearly 150 years ago, this edition can sell for $100 or more. Such a nice copy is not likely to come up for sale again soon on ebay. From the Preface: "In commencing this work, the object of the Author was...to blend amusement with instruction, by serving up, in as palatable a shape as he could, the facts of English history. He pledged himself not to sacrifice the substance to the seasoning; and though he has certainly been a little free in the use of his sauce, he hopes that he has not produced a mere hash on the present occasion. His object has been to furnish something which may be allowed to take its place as a standing dish at the library table, and which, though light, may not be found devoid of nutriment. That food is certainly not the most wholesome which is the heaviest and the least digestible. "Though the original design of this History was only to place facts in an amusing light, without a sacrifice of fidelity, it is humbly presumed that truth has rather gained than lost by the mode of treatment that has been adopted. Persons and things, events and characters, have been deprived of their false coloring, by the plain and matter-of-fact spirit in which they have been approached by the writrer of the 'Comic History of England.' He has never scrupled to take the liberty of tearing off the masks and fancy dresses of all who have hitherto been presented in disguise to the notion of posterity...Some, who have been accustomed to look at History as a pageant, may think it a desecration to present it in a homely shape...but the truth is, [the author] has so much real respect for the great and good, that he is desirous of preventing the little and bad from continuing to claim admiration upon false pretenses." Contents include: Vol I - Britons-Romans-Invasion by Julius Caesar; Invasion by Romans under Claudius-Severus; Saxons; Danes; From King Edward the Elder to Norman Conquest; Edmond Ironsides-Battle of Hastings; Book II - William the Conqueror; Henry the first; Stephen; Edward the First; Henry the Third; Edward, 1st, 2nd & 3rd; Richard the Second; Manners and customs of the people; Henry 4th-6th; Edward 4th & 5th; Richard the Third; Vol II - Henry the 7th & 8th; Mary; Elizabeth; James the First; Charles the First; Commonwealth; Richard Cromwell; Charles the 2nd; Literature, science, fine arts, manners and customs; William and Mary; Anne; George 1st and 2nd; Constitution, government, laws; etc. According to Wikepedia: " Gilbert Abbott à Beckett (9 January 1811 – 30 August 1856) was an English humorist .[ 1] He was born in London , the son of a lawyer, and belonged to a family claiming descent from Thomas Becket . He was educated at Westminster School and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1841.He edited the comic paper Figaro in London and was one of the original staff of Punch and a contributor until his death. He was an active journalist on The Times and The Morning Herald , contributed a series of light articles to The Illustrated London News , conducted in 1846 The Almanack of the Month and found time to produce some fifty or sixty plays, among them dramatized versions of Charles Dickens 's shorter stories, written in collaboration with Mark Lemon . He is perhaps best known as the author of Comic History of England , Comic History of Rome , Comic Blackstone , etc. He wrote the book for two opera with music composed by his wife Mary Anne à Beckett (née Glossop), Agnes Sorrel and Red Riding Hood .As poor-law commissioner he presented a valuable report to the Home Secretary regarding the Andover work... read more

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