Print, book, book-illustration (BM 1992,0406.78.b)

Defoe, Daniel. History of the Plague of London. 1665. [At the head of the title page:] Laurie’s Entertaining Library. London: Thomas Laurie, 28 Paternoster Row, [1886?]. [1], xi-xii, 206p. 4 plates. With one page of publisher’s titles bound at the end. The illustrations are by Frederick Shields, some of which have his monogram of a crossed “F” and “S”. Some of the plates are signed “Swain Sc.” [i. e Joseph Swain], The list of illustrations of the 1860s editions cites six plates. However, only four plates are in this volume, with the original frontispiece plate entitled: “The decision of faith” being in its correct place at the front. Robin de Beaumont's bookplate on the title page verso.


Binding: Green paper on covers and spine, blocked in black. On the lower cover, there is a list of the titles in the series: “Laurie’s Entertaining Library”, of which this volume is number three in the series. The list of tiles is framed within ‘branch like’ fillets, which intersect at each corner. The upper cover has three fillets blocked on tis borders, on thick between two thin,. At the head of the upper cover, the series title: “/ Laurie’s Entertaining Library/” is blocked in black, between two rows of repeating crosses, each within a circle formed by two fillets. Down the spine side of the cover, a pattern of ‘curling stems and leaves’ is blocked. Within a rectangular frame, the title and author words: “? History/ of/ The Plague/ By/ Daniel Defoe./” are blocked in black. At the tail, the publisher: “/ Thomas Laurie/ Paternoster Row, E. C. “ are blocked in black, within a rectangle. Along the spine, the title words: “/ History of the Plague/” are blocked in black. formed by a single black fillet.