Books

London: Printed for E. Curll, 1720. Hardcover. Good. First edition. Octavo. xix, [5], 320, [8]pp., eight-page publisher's catalogue at the back. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait and three engraved plates (one of which shows images of sign language). In the original calf with blind tooling on both covers, neatly re-backed in 19th century calf with a red spine label and wove endpapers. The boards are darkened and worn at the corners, four text leaves are slightly creased, some intermittent toning, about very good. The author of this popular account of an enterprising deaf-mute has been attributed both to William Bond and Daniel Defoe, and has yet to be resolved in favor of one or the other. A scarce copy of the first edition in the original boards *ESTC* T69700. *OCLC* locates only two copies.

The book details the biography of the deaf and mute Scottish gentleman Mr. Duncan Campbell, focusing on his life and the challenges he faced. It also explores his work as a prognosticator or soothsayer and includes colorful anecdotes about 18th-century London society.