The corsair, a tale

London: printed by Thomas Davison, Whitefriars, for John Murray, Albemarle-Street, 1814. Fifth edition (printed the same year as the first edition, but with the 6 poems removed from the second issue of the second edition reappearing in the fourth edition, as well as here); 8vo, pp. xi, [1], 108, [4] ads; original plain brown wrappers, neatly rebacked, endpapers renewed; small chips from the extremities but overall very good, sound and clean. Early ownership signature on upper cover, half title and title page of "W. Wilberforce." There are also a half-dozen or so passages marked with pencil in the margins. Contained in a blue cloth slipcase lettered in (truncated) gilt on spine. William Wilberforce (1759-1833) is the well-known abolitionist and politician. "In 1787, Wilberforce came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of activists against the slave trade, including Granville Sharp, Hannah More and Charles Middleton. They persuaded Wilberforce to take on the cause of abolition, and he became a leading English abolitionist. He headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 20 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807" (Wikipedia). Books from Wilberforce's library are rare on the market, only 2 having appeared at auction in the last 100 years. Wise I, p. 97. (Inventory #: 67727)