Rural Tales; Ballads, and Songs, by Robert Bloomfield, The Second Edition, Vernon and Hood, 1802

Robert Bloomfield was one of the most popular labouring-class poets of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, celebrated for his sympathetic portrayals of rural life and ordinary working people. Rural Tales; Ballads, and Songs, first published in 1802, continues the pastoral and domestic themes that had brought him success with The Farmer's Boy, combining narrative verse, songs and moral reflections in an accessible and highly readable style. This early 1808 edition is illustrated with a series of attractive woodcuts in the manner of Thomas Bewick, and reflects the enduring popularity of Bloomfield's work during the Romantic period.

Rural Tales; Ballads, and Songs, by Robert Bloomfield, The Second Edition.

Published by Vernon and Hood, and Longman and Rees, London. Second edition, 1808. Printed by James Swan, London.

A good hardback in full contemporary calf leather. Covers rubbed, bumped and have weakened joints - which are largely held only by the binding cords - particularly the rear which is now only held by one cord.

Text block is good throughout - bright and clear. Occasional light scattered spotting commensurate with age. With a frontispiece portrait and the book features 11 attractive woodcuts. Previous owner's name to title page.

ix + (1) Contents + 119pp + 11 woodblock plates + portrait frontispiece.

Dimensions: approx 164mm high x 104mm wide x 15mm deep.

Weight: approximately 174g (unpacked).