The Great Importance of a Religious Life Considered: to which are added, some morning and evening prayers

Contemporary calf, with a neat 20th-century reback that is efficient rather than pretty. Upper board mildly dented, corners rubbed, new rear endpapers; corners of a few leaves turned down, occasional minor staining at gutter. "Twenty-second Edition, Corrected" (first edition 1711), with the numerous ownership inscriptions of John Lovell, "John Lovells Book the gift of the Revd Mr Glasbrook for Saing the Catechism in the parish Church of Raunds October 31 1773", "John Lovell His Book 1773 October 31th Day" &c &c. Published anonymously - the ODNB states that the author's identity was not revealed until 1797, but the biographical preface to this edition [by the author's son William] gives a good clue: "He died on the 6th Day of April 1743, and lies under the Cloister of Lincoln's Inn Chapel." An admonitory frontispiece is captioned, "O who can dwell with everlasting Burnings". Melmoth is explicit: "Shall we then be so foolish, as to confine our ambitious Pursuits within the narrow Limits of this World, without considering what will be the Condition of our Souls hereafter? Shall we labour and toil for the Meat that perisheth; and be cold and indifferent about the momentous Concerns of Eternity? Shall we spare no Pains in order to increase our temporal Estates, and to lay up Goods for many Years; when we know not, but this Night our Souls may be required of Us?" John Glasbrooke was Vicar of Raunds, Northamptonshire, from 1755 until his death in 1781; his parishioner is perhaps John Lovell of Raunds, carpenter and victualler, baptised 19 August 1766, buried 22 October 1811.…