Berquin, M. [Arnaud].

The Children’s Friend. Translated from the French of M. Berquin; complete in Four Volumes (here only Volume I and Volume III).

A New Edition. Two Volumes (of Four). London, Printed for J.Stockdale, 1804. Small Octavo (11 cm wide x 17 cm high). Volume I: Frontispiece, XII, 200 pages / Volume III: Frontispiece, 218 pages. Hardcover / Original half-leather of the early 19th century. Both Volumes firm but stronger rubbed. Good+ condition with only minor signs of wear but with some minor staining inside and two defects to the frontispiece of Volume III and a tear to the rear endpaper of Volume III. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with manuscript entries of names in the books by the Meade family.

Arnaud Berquin (September 1747 in Bordeaux – 21 December 1791) was a French children’s author.

His most famous work was L’Ami des Enfants (1782-1783) which was first translated into English, albeit bowdlerised, by Mary Stockdale and published in London The Looking-glass for the Mind, Or, Intellectual Mirror: Being an Elegant Collection of the Most Delightful Little Stories and Interesting Tales in 1783-1784 by Mary’s father John Stockdale.

The work remained popular until the middle of the nineteenth century. Berquin’s stories consisted of events that might happen to children in their everyday lives—they did not contain fairy tales or other imaginative literature. His books envision childhood reading as a familial exercise; for example, some of his “stories” are actually plays with parts for every member of the family. Berquin’s books helped solidify the creation of the nuclear family, for “if Berquin’s work has a theme, it is that parents and children live in a perfect symbiosis, the parents looking after their children’s interests and the children, if behaving properly, filling their parents with joy.″
(Wikipedia)

• Keywords: 18th / 19th Century Country House Library of Richard Meade – Ballymartle · 18th Century – Irish Country House Library · Catalogue Two – Children’s Books · Children’s Books of the 19th century · Children’s Books Rare · Meade Family History & Genealogy · Meade Library Ballymartle
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 31989AB

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