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[COMBE, William]. Anti-diabo-lady. Respectfully dedicated to all the women in her majesty's dominions, in general; and to the best of them in particular, Calculated to expose the Malevolence of the Author of diabo-lady.

London. Printed for the Author, and to be had of C. Parker...Mr. Bew, 1777. First edition.
Quarto. [2], iv, 17pp, [1]. Late dark green half-morocco, red paper boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Rubbed. Title lightly browned, internally clean and crisp.
The first edition of William Combe's (1742-1843) verse 'attack' of his own The Diabo-Lady: or, a Match in Hell. A Poem. Dedicated to the Worst Woman in Her Majesty’s Dominion, (1777), both of which are spiritual sequels to the work with which he had begun his literary career, The Diaboliad, a Poem. (1777), a savage satire of notorious libertine Simon Luttrell, Lord Irnham. In The Diaboliad, the 'The worst man in His Majesty's Dominion' is crowned Lord of Hell; in the The Diabo-Lady he auditions the most sinful women his minions are able to discover to take the mantle of his queen. The Anti-diabo-lady positions itself as righteous response to the wanton display of vice exhibited by the latter publication and, as noted in the title, 'expose the malevolence of author'.
ESTC T22162.
£ 750.00 Antiquates Ref: 29062