Description
8vo, 460pp. Hardcover with black cloth covered boards and gilt title on spine with price-clipped d/w, both in excellent condition with two minute stains on front cover now protected by clear archival covering, text is in near-fine condition devoid of any prior owner notations. This is not a historical novel in the normal sense. It begins as a quirk or obsession(a ‘maggot’ in the archaic sense of the word) which finds its setting in the second wave of Protestant Dissent in England.The term was sometimes used in in the late 17th and early 18th century of dance-tunes and airs that had no special title, such as Lord Byron’s Maggot. It takes shape as a mystery – a compelling investigation of unaccountable motives and deeds, leading through intriguing paths to a startling revelation in the centre and then an evolution into real factual history. Highly enjoyable to read with exquisite narrative delights throughout.