The Star-Chamber: An Historical Romance

London: George Routledge and Sons, 1880. Hardcover. Fine/No Dust Jacket Issued. Illustrations by Hablot Knight Browne, a.k.a Phiz..
A romance with the backdrop of the notorious Star Chamber of the English legal system. The Chamber began as purely administrative, but gradually took on more of a judicial role, enforcing the monarch's will when the courts could or would not do so. As the mix of fact and fiction unfolds in this tale, the court is beginning to lose favor during the reign of James I as the church once again increased its power, while Parliament's power decreased as the monarch tried to rule without them. [Thompson]

Red half-morocco with marbled paper-covered boards, top edges gilt; Bound at Brentanos with 8 leaves of plates by Hablot Knight Browne, a.k.a Phiz. Bindings are tight and square. Text clean, light even toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. A handsome collectible copy. 8vo 22.5 x 15 cm; 8.875 inches tall, 296 pages. 


REF: librivox/Thompson; britannica

Background:
William Harrison Ainsworth, (1805 -1882), English author of popular historical romances. Ainsworth initially studied law but left it for literature, publishing his first novel anonymously in 1826. His novels excel in conveying the pageantry and bustle of history but lack coherence of plot and subtlety of characterization. 

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