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'WITH AMELIA OPIE'S LOVE'

OPIE, Amelia. Tales of the pemberton family; for the use of children.

London. Published by Harvey & Darton, 1825. First edition.
12mo in 6s. [4], 104pp. With a half-title, engraved frontispiece and one further engraved plate. Original publisher's gilt-tooled green roan-backed marbled boards, with the original price of 1s 6d stamped to spine. Rubbed, with some surface loss to boards. Some spotting, offsetting and marking to text, occasional marginal loss. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to FFEP: 'Elizabeth Freeman with Amelia Opie's love -'.
A choice presentation copy of the first edition of the only prose work specifically written 'for the use of children' by novelist and poet Amelia Opie (1769-1853). Norfolk-printed and published in the same year as Opie joined the Society of Friends, largely at the encouragement of the Gurney family, it is surely most likely that the recipient of this presentation copy was Elizabeth Freeman, companion of the Gurney sisters Louisa (later Gurney-Hoare), Priscilla and Betsy (later Elizabeth Fry).

The four tales in this work all concern a single landed family, headed by 'Sir George and Lady Pemberton', the parents of two sons, Henry and Edward. Imbued with morality to be gleaned from life, the tales follow the children's adventures at a nearby fair or with a friend's lame dog, as well as when they hear of the experiences of others in adversity, such as in French Gaol or English workhouse. In the final story, a cousin of the Pemberton's, Merrick, comes to stay. Like one of the Pemberton twins, he intends to become clergyman, with the motive of enjoying a life of hunting and shooting. Lady Pemberton attempts to influence Merrick by providing an account of the exemplary lives of a clergyman and his wife who devoted themselves entirely to their parishioners regardless of their own comfort. Her hopes are dashed, yet she stoically concludes: 'what a blessing it is to children to be well taught.'

£ 2,500.00 Antiquates Ref: 30226