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a Kempis, Thomas; Benham, W. (Translator) : The Imitation of Christ: Four Books. With Ten Illustrations

J. C. Nimmo & Bain, London, England, 1882

Full decorated white vellum binding with gilt lettering on front cover and spine. Red, white, and blue decorations on front cover and spine. Marbled endpapers. Signatures and inscriptions by Elizabeth C. Winter, wife of William Winter, and Henri van Laun in black ink on half-title and facing page. Winter writes in her inscription that this copy came from Ellen Terry. Van Laun has signed the book to Charles Wardell, Terry's second husband. 6" x 8." xxiv, 1-383, complete. Ten black-and-white engraved plates, complete. Each page of text has a illustrated border decorations. Pages are clean and intact overall but there are occasional chips at the edges, age toning throughout, occasional browning, and a few small stains or spots of foxing. Covers are intact but have a few stains and darkening on front, back, and spine. Binding is a bit loose but still strong and holding. A few of the plates are misplaced but present; for example, the plate listed as being on Page 7 actually appears as the frontispiece, and there are two plates in the vicinity of Pages 188 and 196 that are misplaced but present. A Good copy. English translation of The Imitation of Christ, a Christian devotional book attributed to Thomas a Kempis (c. 1380-1471), a German-Dutch canon regular. Although this edition attributes The Imitation of Christ to John Gerson (or, Gersen) in the Preface, the consensus among modern scholars is that Thomas is the actual author. From 1418-1427, Thomas wrote four devotional booklets to instruct young novices which were later collected and titled, "The Imitation of Christ." These four books are titled as follows in this edition: "Admonitions Profitable for the Spiritual Life," "Admonitions Concerning the Inner Life," "On Inward Consolation," and "Of the Sacrament of the Altar." Translated into English from the original Latin by W. Benham. Illustrations by J. P. Laurens. Illustrations etched by Leopold Fleming. This is a beautiful book with former owners' inscriptions on half-title and the page facing half-title indicating its unique provenance. This copy once belonged to Ellen Terry (1847-1928), the famous English actress of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; Charles Clavering Wardell (also, Charles Kelly; 1838-1885), an English actor and journalist and the second husband of Terry; Elizabeth C. Winter (1841-1922), a Scottish-American poet and author and the wife of drama critic and author William Winter; and Henri van Laun (1820-1896), a Dutch-English author and translator. Inscription on half-title: "Charles Wardell, from Henri van Laun, July 25, 1882." Inscription on page facing half-title: "Elizabeth C. Winter, This book was given to me by Ellen Terry when I stayed at her house in Longridge Road, October 1886.". Illustr.: Laurens, J. P. (Illustrations); Fleming, Leopold (Etcher). Book. Book Condition: Good. Binding: Hardcover

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