Books

Some spots and small stains, a few leaves creased at upper outer corner from turning down. With 1�pp. A.L.s. from Thomas Arnold to Rev. C.R. Alford loosely inserted (with integral blank, additional addressed sheet edged in black & black seals, and addressed envelope). Modern full blue morocco, gilt, spine gilt in compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. A very handsome copy. The famous novel about Rugby School set in the 1830s, featuring Tom Brown, 'Scud' East, the frail George Arthur, the abominable Flashman and Thomas Arnold. Dr Thomas Arnold (1795-1842), progressive headmaster of Rugby School from 1828-41, who introduced significant reforms to the curriculum and moral tone of the school which were subsequently adopted by many other Public Schools. Certainly, he would not have auctioned off the valuable and irreplaceable school library as shamefully occurred in 2019 under the current headmaster (or "Bodger")- actually not even Brigadier Sir Harry Flashman V.C. would have done that. (For all his sins, Flashy had a love of books.) In 1841 Arnold became Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford. This letter is addressed to Rev.C.R.Alford and dated 3rd May 1842, accepting an invitation to take a service at Alford's church St.Matthews in Oxford on 5th June. Arnold died very suddenly of a heart attack on 12th June, aged only 46.