F. W. Bourne, "The King's Son; or, a Memoir of Billy Bray. Compiled largely from his own Memoranda. A New Illustrated Edition" (London, Bible Christian Book-Room / Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1883). Hardcover (dark blue embossed bevelled cloth boards with black and gilt pictorial decoration, gilt page edges), 157pp plus title and introductory pages, several engravings and three pages advertising other Bible Christian Book-Room publications, measuring approximately 13.1 x 18.7 x 2.3cm (5.15 x 7.35 x 0.9in). The preface to this memoir of the renowned Cornish Methodist preacher, which is dated 1877, notes that there had been fourteen previous editions, and quotes from the preface to the third edition: "No person in Cornwall, in the humbler ranks of life at least, was better known or more respected than William, commonly called "Billy" Bray. His witty and eccentric sayings caused him to be thus widely known, and his deep and fervent piety to be as generally respected." The inside front cover bears the original retailer's label ("M. Butcher, Weymouth") to the bottom corner. No dustjacket; the cover is discoloured and marked with age wear including wear and bumping to edges and corners, and there is considerable discoloration / fading to the spine with splitting to the spine edges and slight loss to the cloth at the top and bottom; there is some marking to, and splitting between, the inside covers and endpapers, the binding being weak in places although still holding together; the pages are discoloured with varying degrees of foxing (there is considerable foxing to the end pages) and other marks, tanning and wear to edges with discoloration and marking to the gilt (especially to the top edges), and occasional creases.
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