Author: Fiddes, Richard
Title: Practical Discourses On Several Subjects [ 3 volumes complete ]
Description: printed by J.B. for John Wyat at the Rose, in St. Paul's Church-Yard; Benj. Tooke at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-Street; and Henry Clements at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1714, 1st edition. Full contemporary calf, G+. 3 volumes. [xxx]+384pp, [xii]+386pp, xiv+[ii]+368pp, attractively bound in paneled speckled calf with blind stamped ruled decoration with scallop motif, gilt spine with raised bands & red morocco lettering piece, upper board of volume I crudely re-attached with gummed paper, all hinges cracked but holding, wear to the edges & corners of the leather & scuffing to the rear board of volume III as if the book has been placed upon a rough surface at some time. Internally a fine set, occasional spotting to the text & yellowing of the paper, name in ink to the pastedown of each volume, ink library stamp 'Cornwell House' on the endpaper of each volume. Volume I is a 3rd edition, volume II a 2nd edition & volume III a 1st edition. Hardback , no dustjacket. ¶ A collection of some 45 sermons by the Yorkshire rector Richard Fiddes [ 1671 - 1725 ] who was rector of Halsham in Holderness in Yorkshire from 1696 - 1712. Noted as a 'very hard drinker' he went to London in 1712 for the sake of his health having found Yorkshire to damp & was presented to Swift on the strength of his writing. A keen supporter of the Tory administration of Queen Anne until her death when his support for the party wanned, he 'vigorously approved the tory measures to secure the Church of England against the encroachments of dissent.' [ODNB].

Keywords: theology, sermons, christianity, religion, protestantism