Description

[004361] [Trusler, John] The Honours of the Table, or, Rules for Behaviour During Meals; with the Whole Art of Carving, Illustrated By a Variety of Cuts Etc. Etc. ill. Bewick, John. London: For the Author at the Literary-Press, 1791. Second Edition. 12mo. Hardback. Good. [3], 4-120pp. Contemporary speckled sheep, recently rebacked to style

Corners worn with some loss, board edges bumped. Some light browning and occasional spotting to text, occasional ink marginalia, partial pencilled index to ffep. With Trusler’s coat of arms engraved to reverse of title, and twenty-six woodcuts by John Bewick showing joints, poultry, and fish to text, and another six later engravings pasted in onto blank leaves (these with slight off setting)

The first edition was published in 1788. Bitting, page 466; Maclean, page 142; Osborne II, page 743; Oxford, pages 116-117 “gives curious information as to the habits of the time. For example, the custom of ‘a gentleman and a lady sitting alternately round the table’ had only been lately introduced. Till then the ladies had sat together according to rank”; Simon BG 1476; Wellcome V: 303 (their copy with a 12p list of Trusler’s publications at the end, not present here)