MY POCKET BOOK; OR, HINTS FOR "A RYGHTE MERRIE AND CONCEITEDE" TOUR, IN QUARTO; TO BE CALLED "THE STRANGER IN IRELAND," IN 1805

London, England: Vernor, Hood, and Sharpe, poutlry; and J. Archer; R. Dugdale; M.N. Mahon; M. Keene; C. Legrange; and L. Tuggis; Dublin, 1808. Second Edition. Hardcover. Very Good Plus. 12mo, 6.9 in. x 4..3 in., pp. xxii, 228. Illustrated with fold-out frontis and four additional engravings. Half calf, ruled in gilt, over marbled boards. Gilt title with band lines on black panels, and four raised bands, to rebacked spine. Marbled edges. Very light rubbing to extremities. Previous owner's bookplate ("Alexander Speirs, Elderslie" ) to front pastedown. "A new edition. In which will be found, amongst other pleasant and satirical novelties, an introduction; a description of the plates; illustrative anecdotes from my "Tour through Holland" in 1806; an appendix, containing three MSS. found in St. Patrick's Abbey; and An Essay in defence of bad spelling." (from the title page) This copy is the seocnd edition.

When the travels of Sir John Carr were attracting attention, Dubois undertook, for the publishers of the 'Monthly Mirror,' to write a satirical pamphlet on Carr's writing. It was called My Pocket-book, or Hints for a "Ryghte merrie and conceitede tour, in quarto; to be called, 'The Stranger in Ireland,' in 1805. By a Knight Errant", 1807. This satire quickly passed through two editions, and was followed by 'Old Nick's Pocket-book,' 1808, written in ridicule of Dubois, by a friend of Carr, who was stung into bringing an action against Hood and Sharpe. The case came before Lord Ellenborough and a special jury, at Guildhall, 1 August 1808, when the judge summed up in favour of the defendants, and the verdict was given for them. Two reports of the trial were issued, one on behalf of the plaintiff and the other in the interest of the defendants; the latter report was appended to a third edition of My Pocket-book. (from Wikipedia)

Previous owner, Alexander Speirs of Elderslie (died 1844) was a Scottish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1835 to 1841.