The Chapter of Kings. Illustrated by Thirty-eight Engravings; Exhibiting the Most Important Events in English History

London: J. Harris, 1818. First Edition. Quarter Morocco, over boards with paper pastedowns. Very Good. 12mo, 5.25 by 4.25 inches, 14 by 11 cm. As noted in title, with 38 hand-colored plates depicting the kings of England. Each plate has a header caption relating a salient fact about the particular king, and the bottom caption carries a line of doggeril that rhymes with the facing page. The book was intended as an instructive text for children, as noted on the rear cover: "Parents and Teachers must have remarked the difficulty Children experience in recollecting the Succession of the English Monarchs, and likewise how much the memory is assited by rhyme." (truncated) The blurb also notes the "correctness of the Costume and Design". Modern audiences will undoubtedly find the plates suffused with a gory charm, and this is also an early textbook featuring hand-coloring. Scuffs on the binding and other edgewear. Light soiling to the pages. Overall, quite clean and attractive. (Inventory #: 002230)