In Praise Of Ale - Or, Songs, Ballads, Epigrams, And Anecdotes Relating To Beer, Malt, And Hops - With Some Curious Particulars Concerning Ale-Wives And Brewers Drinking-Clubs And Customs. Marchant, W.T. Varia

First Edition. Octavo. Manuscript Frontispiece illustration of "the Setting for the Biddless Hauld" drawn and signed by Robert Blair Wilkie, VIII, 632 pages. Original Hardcover / Brown publisher's cloth with gilt lettering and ornament (Gilted illustration of Hop Grain on the front board] Binding a little shaky but holding. Most pages unopened. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Rare in its original binding. Museum curator and scottish nationalist Robert Blair Wilkie's personal copy with some interesting handwritten comments and annotations by Robert Blair Wilkie on the first few pages. Includes for example the following chapters: Carols and Wassail Songs / Church Ales and Observances / Whitsun Ales / Political [Songs and Poems] / Harvest Songs / Barley and Malt / Hops / Scotch Ale Songs / Local and Dialect Songs / Trade Songs / Oxford Songs / Ale Wives / Brewers / Drinking Clubs and Customs / Royal and Noble Drinkers / Black Beer / Drinking Vessels / Warm Ale / Facts, Scraps and Ana etc. Sprache: english.