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Contemporary cloth, gilt spine-title in decorative cartouche, 12mo, title in red and black, 20 cm, 151 pp. Rare - Only two copies located (British Library and Bodleian Library). A rather charming collection of 77 pieces all save a couple in verse - contributed by nine members of the Amici , a "Society of Gentlemen at Maidstone", who in 1836 were meeting on Saturdays at The Bull Inn to discuss (judging by the contents of the volume) antiquities, science , law, poetry and philosophy. An interesting light on late Georgian social life in a Kentish town. A contemporary review in 'The New Monthly', while being somewhat disobliging about Maidstone "a dull, money-making, trading town" praises the Amici "its nest of philosophers and poets" and the book itself "its appearance is most inviting , and does infinite credit to the Maidstone press." and while the "poetical pieces [are]of a very mixed order of merit, there are gems in this little volume which will bear the test of the severest rules of criticism". The poems cover a wide range of subjects including several on local topography; the prose contributions comprise: "The Iguanodon : an account of the fossil remains of an Iguanodon, discovered in a quarry of Shanklin sand near Maidstone" by its discoverer, W.H. Bensted, and "Descriptive Account of the Roman Bathsdiscovered at Bignor, Sussex, in 1815" by R. Dally. Contributors are identified by printed initials only but our copy has been annotated with most names supplied and these correspond with fuller identifications set out in The Kentish Notebook for August 27th, 1892. The contributors are: Thomas Light Merritt (1795-1870) of Church Street, Artist and Drawing master; Frank Fether Dally, Solicitor and Coroner; William Philpot of Bower Place, Professor of Dancing; Jas. Bellingham of County Road; Stephen Philpot of King Street, Professor of Music; Thomas Turpin; George Whiting of Marsham Place (a Vice-President of the Mechanics' Institution); William Harding Bensted (1802-1873), stone merchant; and R. Dally (senior). Booklabel of L S Coomer on front pastedown endpaper, front joint pulled at lower two-thirds and slightly tender, endpapers foxed, occasional mild spotting, head of spine frayed, corners a trifle worn, otherwise Good. Names added in manuscript to contibutors on contents page.
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