The Letters of Joseph Ritson

A very scarce posthumous collection of letters from a staunch advocate of the French Revolution, Vegetarianism and the heroism of Robin Hood. The first edition of The Letters of Joseph Ritson, a posthumous collection of the personal correpondence of the distinguished Enlgish antiquary, edited and with a biographical memoir by fellow antiquary Sir Harris Nicolas. Very scarce in commerce. Published in 1833, thirty years after his death. In contemporary half calf, with marble boards. Contains marble end papers, and without half-titles when compared against copies held by the Hathi Trust. A respected scholar of English history, Ritson's research on ordinary people during the Medieval era led to him to publish the first scholarly edition of Robin Hood, with his writings being a great influence upon the image of the English folk-hero today. As well as his research, these letters reveal his staunch advocacy of both vegetarianism and the French Revolution, being particularly critical of monarchy. - Volume I: Preface on Ritson's life by Nicolas and letters 1776-1793. - Volume I: Letters 1793-1803. In contemporary half calf, with marble boards. Contains marble end papers, and without half-titles when compared against copies held by the Hathi Trust. Externally, fading patches and light grazes to boards. Wear and slight loss to black morocco spine labels. Faint rubbing marks to spines, joints and to edges. Marble end papers are clean with a small graze to front pastedown of I. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with very faint spots to first couple and final leaves of II. Very Good.…