£350
12mo. pp. 143, [1]. Contemporary quarter sheep, pale blue paper boards. Soiled and somewhat stained. Binding worn and rather soiled, front flyleaf excised, front hinge sometime reglued. Ownership inscriptions of Rd. Ellison and Joy Turner to front pastedown, both dated 1757 but in different hands, above that of Edwin Lovegrove dated Sept. 1858, all partially obscured by other writing and pen trials. Further writing to rear endpapers, ink inscription ‘A BOOK’ to rear board.
This Bristol printing of this classic Christian devotional work was edited by John Wesley - as identified in Emory's 'The Works of The Reverend John Welsey, A.M.' 1831 - and printed by the Wesleyan Methodist Felix Farley (1708-1753), who printed several of Wesley's works and left both Charles and John Wesley a guinea each in his will. The Imitation of Christ was an important influence on Wesley's conversion.
ESTC lists 5 copies, with only the Bodleian's copy in the British Isles, Baker adds several more in smaller institutions.
