The Rambler, in three volumes. [History of a young woman that came to London for a service; Remarks on masquerades; Uneasiness & disgust of female cowardice; A mother her daughter's rival; Criticism on Milton; Advice to unmarried Ladies; etc]

[London : Strahan and Preston, New Street Square] ; Printed for J Johnson; W Otridge & Son; F & C Rivington; R Faulder & Son; W Lowndes ; J Walker ; Cuthell & Martin; Wilkie & Robinson; B C Collins; J Nunn; Darton & Harvey; Vernor, Hood & Sharpe.., 1806, 1806. Very Good. 3 volumes ; 446, 443, 396 pp ; full leather with gold bands and red titles ; foxed ; tear to flyleaf of volume 1 ; title page of volume 1 not present ; engraved plates as frontispieces by E. Edwards and I. Neagle published by T. Cadell, copyright Se pt. 1, 1793 present in volumes 2 and 3 ; name of Atlantan James Lowell Battle on front ep of volume 1 ; publisher colophon: Printed for J Johnson; W Otridge & Son; F & C Rivington; R Faulder & Son; W Lowndes ; J Walker ; Cuthell & Martin; Wilkie & Robinson; B C Collins; J Nunn; Darton & Harvev; Vernor, Hood & Sharpe; Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme; Cadell & Davies, Lackington, Allen, & Co.; B Crosby: J Carpenter; S Bagster; and J Mawman ; [London : Strahan and Preston, New Street Square], 1806. ; copy of Abraham Ver Plank Lansing (1790-1875), son of Albany planter Jan van Arnhem Lansing (1769-1863) and Ariaantje Verplanck (1768-?), removed in the early 19th century to Watervliet, New York, the site of an extensive Shaker community, the first of its kind in America ; label of the Watervliet Literary Society on front ep of volume 1 ; The Rambler was an early periodical published by Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) of English Dictionary fame, on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1750 to 1752, i n the pattern of the earlier Spectator periodical by Richard Steele and Joseph Addison ; "The sale was very inconsiderable, and seldom exceeded five hundred; and ... the only paper which had a prosperous sale, and may be said to have been popular, was one which Dr. Johnson did not write. This was No, 97, written by [Samuel] Richardson, the author of Clarissa, Pamela, and Sir Charles Grandison...The four billets in No. 10 were written by Miss Mulso [Hester Mulso Chapone (1727-1801)]... No. 30 was written by Miss Catherine Talbot (1721-1770)...She possessed great natural talents, a vigorous understanding, a lively imagination and refined taste. ...The only remaining contributor was Mrs. Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806), who wrote No. 44 and 10 0...'She could make a pudding as well as translate Epictetus from the Greek; and work a handkerchief as well as compose a poem.'...Of the characters described in the Rambler, some were not altogether fictitious. Prospero in No. 200, was intended for [David] Garrick (1717-1779)....Mrs. Piozzi [Hester Lynch Thrale Salusbury Piozzi (1741-1841)] informs us, that by Gelidus, the philosopher, [in] No. 24, the author meant to represent Mr. Coulson [John Colson (1680-1760), Lucasian professor at Cambr idge], a mathematician, who formerly lived at Rochester. The man 'immortalized for purring like a cat,' was one [John] Busby, a proctor in the Commons. He who 'barked so ingeniously, and then called the drawer to drive away the dog', was father to D r. [Samuel] Salter (1710-1778) of the Charter-house [ie., Samuel Salter, Sr. (1680-1756), Archdeacon of Norwich, who was a member of the Rambler Club, meeting weekly at the King's Head in Ivy Lane. Dr. Johnson, Hawkins, and Hawkesworth were among th e nine members]...He who 'sung a song, and by correspondent motions of his arm chalked out a giant on the wall', was one Richardson, an attorney...."--from The British Essayists: The Rambler, By Alexander Chalmers; Contents : [Volume 1] 1. Difficult y of the first address. Practice of the epic poets. Convenience of periodical performances -- 2. The necessity and danger of looking into suturity -- Writers naturally sanguine. Their hopes liable to disappointment -- 3. An allegory on criticism -- 4. The modern form of romances preserable to the ancient. The necessity of characters morally good. -- 5. A meditation on the spring -- 6. Happiness not local -- 7. Retirement natural to a great mind. Its religious use -- 8. The thoughts to be brought under regulation as they respect the past, present, and Future -- 9. The fondness of every man for his posession. -- The gradual improvement of manufactures -- 10. Four billets with their answers / [Hester Mulso Chapone (1727-1801)]. Remarks on masquerades