THE IMITATION OF JESUS CHRIST, Translated...with Introduction and Notes by T. F. Dibdin

London William Pickering for John Major, 1828. 8vo. (8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches), full dark navy crushed morocco with a triple gilt fillet border; within the large cover panel is an over all blind blocked design composed of arabesque scrolls with intricate turns and whorls. Spine with five raised bands and triple gilt rules in the five compartments, inside of which there is complicated blind decoration; the remaining compartment is reserved for the title information, which is gilt stamped. Board edges gilt, inner gilt dentelles, a.e.g. Signed on the inner front board: J. MACKENZIE, BOOKBINDER TO THE KING.The Imitation of Jesus Christ has been since its initial publication in the 15th century one of the most widely read, often published books in the world. Its four books tell the story of the gradual movement of the soul away from earthly attachments towards Christian perfection in its union with God. Over the centuries it gained readers because of its simple and sincere religious ideas. This nicely printed edition (Keynes calls it ugly), contains a fourteen page list of Subscribers. Some foxing at the beginning and the end, apparently originating with the engraved frontispiece and a small engraving on the last leaf. In this fine example of English romantic bookbinding by one of the King’s own bookbinders, it is all the more desirable as a specimen of the work of one of England's finest 19th century publishers.See: Keynes, Sir. G. William Pickering Publisher. p. 75 FINE ROMANTIC BINDING BY J. MACKENZIE