Memoirs of Richard Cumberland

London: Lackington, Allen, & Co, 1806. First edition. Leather. Very Good Indeed. 12.5" by 9.5". Not Stated. The first edition of Richard Cumberland's autobiography, illustrated with three plates. Presented to a friend by Capel Lofft and William Frere. The first edition of this work.Richard Cumberland's autobiography.Cumberland was an English dramatist and civil servant, known for his hit play 'The West Indian'. During the American War of Independence, Cumberland was a secret negotiator with Spain, trying to bring around peace negotiations.Illustrated with a frontispiece, and two plates.Letter tipped in to the reverse of the frontispiece; 'The Gentlemen of the Bar attending the quarter sessions at Bury bequest the Reverend Edward Mills (their honorary chaplain) to accept this volume as a mark of their respect & esteem, and they hope that the anecdotes it contains of the two distinguishes men who presided over the School of College in which he was educated will render if not uninteresting. April 1808. Capel Lofft. Robert Alderson. William Hunt. William Frere. Henry Storks. John King'.Capel Lofft was a lawyer, writer, an amateur astronomer, observing several transits and eclipses, including the transits of Mercury in 1799 and 1802, and various solar and lunar eclipse. Lofft was a supporter of Napoleon.William Frere was a lawyer and academic, a law-serjeant, and the Master of Downing College, Cambridge.Letter loosely inserted to Edward Mills from Robert Alderson.Stamp to the reverse of the title page.Annotations to the rear endpapers, being inscriptions of Cumberland's poetry, and a couple of notes on his life.Bookplate of Edward John Kenney to the recto to the front endpaper. Kenney was a noted British Latinist, who served as the Kennedy Professor of Latin. He specialised in textual criticism, and was a leading expert on the works of Ovid and Lucretius. Kenney had a unique test when he was interviewing candidates for the college, having his cat Fufu in the room during the interview, and judging the candidates on how they treated his cat. The more kindly they treated the cat the more likely they were to be admitted.Bookplate of H. Hasted to the front pastedown. Rebound in a half morocco binding with marbled paper to the boards. Externally, smart. Spine is a little faded. A little discolouration to the spine label. Bookplates to the front pastedowns and to the recto to the front endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are lightly age-toned and generally clean with some odd spots. Letter tipped in to the reverse of the frontispiece. Very Good Indeed