Reflexions upon ridicule; or, what it is that makes a man ridiculous; and the means to avoid it.

London: printed for Tho. Newborough at the Golden-Ball, D. Midwinter at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, and Benj. Tooke at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet, 1707.. Hardcover. Good. Octavo. [xvi], 390, [xviii]pp. A8-Z8, Aa8-Dd8. With an index. Second edition. Twentieth-century black cloth. With a previous owner's name and address rubberstamped on the front pastedown. ESTC T139371. English translator unknown, but it has been incorrectly ascribed to Jeremy Collier in the 1738 edition of the Dublin reprint (see ESTC). With a manuscript poem about the book addressed to J [I]. C., jnr from Hil. Bayly, dated 8/26/1708. The manuscript poem at the beginning of the text is about the subject matter of the book and does refer to it. A part on the fore edge was torn at one time and a previous owner reattached it with scotch tape; there is the usual dark mark at the intersection of the tear, but everything is present. The hand is very legible. I checked the UK parish registers for a person or persons whose first name started with 'Hil.' and whose surname was 'Bayly.' I found two; one had died in 1701. Those two are: Hilarius Bayly - Baptism - 20 Aug 1639 - Narborough in Norfolk - All Saints Church, and Hilary Bayly - Baptism - 01 Aug 1669 - Ashill in Norfolk - St Nicholas Church - Burial - 08 Oct 1701 - St Nicholas Church. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything on Hilarius Bayly. An excellent scholar, and whose indulgence I beg for using his quote without his permission, stated that "... I enjoy the idea of someone named Hilarius owning a book on ridiculousness." A very interesting item.