The History of Court Fools
$250
Out of stock
Description
The History of Court Fools by Dr. [John] Doran. London : Richard Bentley. 1858. First Edition.
An unusual history of court fools and jesters written by popular 19th-century historian Dr. John Doran famous for his work on table manners and the 1870-71 Siege of Paris. Starting his survey in ancient myth with the example of the god Mercury, Doran covers court fools from throughout history from the female jester Harpaste kept by the wife of Seneca to the most famous fools from the monarchies of France, England, and other European nations. A scarce book in the first edition, the unique binding likely reflects the taste and relative wealth of the unknown original owner who would have likely had it custom made for their copy.
8vo, pp389 + 2ads. Stamped cloth boards with decorative gilt jester’s cap on front. Title, author, and publisher, gilt to spine. Some cloth bubbling on from and back boards. Corners bumped. Spine ends worn. Former booksellers sticker on front pastedown. Bookblock and pages darkened. Stain along gutter of the first page of ads. Good condition.
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