THE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF BAMPFYLDE MOORE CAREW, KING OF THE BEGGARS, CONTAINING HIS LIFE, A DICTIONARY OF THE ANT LANGUAGE, AND MANY ENTERTAINING PARTICULARS OF THAT EXTRAORDINARY MAN
Book Details + Condition: W. Salter Tiverton (United Kingdom). Early edition, 1812 (first published in 1745). 288 pages. Hardcover. Three-quarters leather binding with blue boards; marbled endpapers; gilt to spine and top-edge gilt. This volume, by an unknown author, tells the story of English vagabond Bampfylde Moore Carew (b. 1693), the self-christened "King of the Beggars." This book likely took inspiration from Carew's own memoirs, and tells the stories of his exploits in picaresque fashion. The dictionary to the end of the book explains the jargon and slang used by Carew and his associates. Front board appears to have been re-attached at some point (common with leather), but binding remains firm; rubbed corners and edges; general wear to boards, with scuffing to leather and cloth; small chip to front marbled endpaper; bottoms of 2 pages of Preface torn off (does not affect the text); normal age-toning to pages; interior is clean and free of markings save owner's name on title page (in script).
