In Freedom’s Cause

HENTY, G[eorge] A[lfred]. In Freedoms Cause. A Story of Wallace and Bruce. With Twelve Full-Page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. London: Blackie & Son, 1885. 12mo, 392pp. + 32 advts. Navy cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, black and burgandy; a.e.g. Burgandy endpapers; 12 b&w plates. Spine ends and corners a bit worn with a tiny chip to upper spine end, slight traces of internal foxing, else a tight, surprisingly bright copy.

First edition. A tale of the 13th century Scottish chieftains desperate struggle for independence from their English ruler Edward Longshanks. Their ultimate victory is highlight by the hard-fought series of battles conducted under the leadership of the legendary figures William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Though told through the eyes of a fictional protagonist, Archie Forbes, who estates have been wrongfully confiscated, Henty attempted to infuse his stories with accurate historical context. Hentys novels were ubiquitous during his day, and are relics of a particularly Victorian viewpoint on the history of the British Empire. Newbolt 18.1.