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RAREBOOKHUB SHOWS NO COPY EVER COMING TO AUCTION. No other copies are for sale nor have been for sale that I have seen. Only about a dozen copies are held by institutions. A true rarity. The life of Queen Anne: In which is contained the most considerable Transactions of Her REIGN, both at home and A-broad: Her Character, Vertues, and Private Devotions. ALSO a particular RELATION of Her Sick-ness and Death; with some Account of the Differences at Court which then happen'd. Illustrated with all Her SPEECHES, MESSAGES, LETTERS, &c to Her Parliaments and Allies: The Honours and Preferments bestow'd during Her Reign: And other considerable Events. Condition: Good, complete. PROVENANCE Robert J. Hayhurst (noted 20th century collector and bibliophile) and a pencil note by him stating the book is from the library of Charles Didbin. Charles Dibdin (1745 ? 1814) was an English composer, musician, dramatist, novelist, singer and actor. With over 600 songs to his name, for many of which he wrote both the lyrics and the music and performed them himself, he was in his time the most prolific English singer-songwriter. He is best known as the composer of Tom Bowling, one of his many sea songs, which often features at the Last Night of the Proms. He also wrote about 30 dramatic pieces, several novels, memoirs and histories. BOOK INFO Published by A. Bell, et al. in London in 1714 (shortly after Queen Anne's death earlier in the year). First edition. Written anonymously but later attributed to Abel Boyer, who went on to write multiple biographies about Queen Anne in the early 18th century. Bound in contemporary full calf boards and later rebacked circa 1840s with the original backstrip laid down but touched up with newer gilding. Boards tooled in blind: double fillet paneling and center panel with corner fleurons. Spine with raised bands separating compartments ruled and tooled in gilt, a gilt-lettered morocco spine label in compartment two. Refreshed light yellow endpapers (quite fashionable circa 1830-1850 in England). Duodecimo, 6.5" x 4". Collated and complete: 257, [xv] pp. with fold-out frontispiece. CONDITION REPORT The book is in Good condition. Rebacked with original spine strip laid down and touched up with gilding. Exterior and binding: Tightly bound, hinges and frontispiece amateurishly reinforced with hinge tape. Light wear to boards and extremities. Corners are bit bumped and nicked. Some soling to fore-edge. Internally: Front pastedown with the bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst and his inscription in pencil below records the provenance as the book being part of Charles Didbin's library (presumably written after the endpapers were refreshed and which likely contained prior ownership marks). Frontispiece a little edge worn and with some light creasing. Pages are toned and browning in multiple areas. Scattered foxing, heavier in areas, particularly toward the rear quartile. Title page with a name smudged in ink. Large ink spill on p. 292, though text is readable. One leaf with a small rust hole, affecting a few letters of text. An occasional smudge, sign of thumbing or odd crease. ABOUT QUEEN ANNE Anne (February 1665 ? August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from March 8, 1702, and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707 merging the kingdoms of England and Scotland, until her death in 1714. She was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. Mary became Queen upon the death of both her older sister Mary and her husband William who dethroned Mary's father King James (a Catholic) during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Queen Anne took a lively interest in affairs of state, and was a patron of theatre, poetry and music. She subsidized George Frideric Handel with £200 a year. She sponsored high-quality medals as rewards for political or military achievements. They were produced at the Mint by Isaac Newton and John Croker. She knighted Newton when she visited Cambridge in 1705.
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