The Ritualist's Progress: A Sketch of the Reforms and Ministrations of our New Vicar, the Rev. Septimius Alban, Member of the E.C.U., Vicar of St. Alicia, Slumbertown, as they Appeared to a Bewildered Parisioner. With a Supplementary Poem, entitled The Unholy Cross

No stated date c1890s. Reprint, possibly first thus. [iv], 113pp. plus a 1-page advertisement, frontispiece and 2 other full-page illustrations. The author of this humorous satirical poem is not given in this edition, but we understand that the first edition of 1875, published by Samuel Tinsley, gave it as 'A.B. Wildered'. It describes the progress and changes made by a new vicar in the fictional town of Slumbertown. It is divided into the following parts: Our New Vicar, The Restoration of the Church, Choral Service, High Celebration, Of Various Ceremonies, Confession, Fasting, Daily Service and Saints' Days, Corporate Re-Union, and Rome. The present edition includes a supplementary poem entitled The Unholy Cross, by a Graduate of the University of Cambridge. The book is bound in the contemporary purple-brown cloth covered boards with gold titling on the front board. The book has fairly recently been re-backed and re-cased, and as a result is now tight and secure. The boards has some shelf wear with light soiling and the spine and top and fore edges of the rear board are faded. There is lighter fading to the spine, top and fore edges of the front board. The spine ends are lightly bumped with wear and a little damage to the cloth. The contents are tight and clean with some foxing to the last few pages and the book has new grey endpapers. There is no inscription.…