Descrizione

First edition, 4to, [4], 63, [1]pp., signed by the author on front endpaper, engraved vignette on title, 2 folding hand-coloured maps, 9 engraved plates (one folding hand-coloured mosaic plate, some off-set on text), folding pedigree, marbled endpapers, contemporary full red morocco, light rubbed otherwise a nice copy. The rare first edition, privately printed of which ìa few impressions only have been printed, to distribute amongst his literary friendsîópreface. Cayley Illingworth, born about 1758, was presented to the rectory of Scampton, Lincolnshire in 1783, and was subsequently vicar of Stainton-by-Langworth and rector of Epworth in the same county. In 1795 he was involved in the excavation of the local Roman villa at Roxby cum Risby (a few miles from Epworth) where he made the acquaintance of William Fowler, the architect, who contributed the fine hand-coloured plate of the tessellated pavement found at Scampton. Fowler, though a member of the church of England, was at the same time a ëclass-leaderí among the methodists. Some of his neighbours used to say that they ëdid not know whether he was more of a methodist or a catholic.í Corns, Bibliotheca Lincolniensis, p.169.