HONE, William. Ancient Mysteries Described, Especially the English Miracle Plays, Founded on Apocryphal New Testament Story, Extant Among the Unpublished Manuscripts in the British Museum... London: William Reeves, n.d. [c. 1870–1890]. Reprint Edition. Octavo, 300pp
This fascinating volume bridges the worlds of medieval religious drama and 19th-century radical research. Originally written and published in 1823 by the legendary English satirist and free-press pioneer William Hone, this book was the very first critical, public examination of England's forgotten miracle and mystery plays. Hone meticulously cataloged these spectacular, theatrical performances—many extracted from unpublished manuscripts hidden within the British Museum.
Far from a dry academic text, Hone’s work leans into the bizarre, the festive, and the subversive traditions of the medieval church. It pulls back the curtain on ancient customs like the Festival of Fools, the crowning of a mock Boy Bishop, and the grotesque mechanical spectacles of early London street pageantry. Illustrated with striking plates by famed caricature artist George Cruikshank, the text captures an era when sacred rituals and chaotic, carnivalesque humor were deeply intertwined.
This specific copy is a later Victorian reprint issued by the prominent London music and literary publisher William Reeves from his iconic 83 Charing Cross Road shop. To hold this volume today is to handle a wonderful specimen of late-19th-century book production, retaining the blind-stamped black cloth architecture typical of the era's specialized literary collectors.
Condition Report:
Binding: Hardcover bound in its original late-Victorian publisher's black cloth, featuring intricate blind-stamped decorative borders and floral emblems on the front and rear boards.
Spine: Gilt-titled spine text (ANCIENT / MYSTERIES / DESCRIBED / HONE) remains mostly legible. Shows standard shelving friction, bumping, and minor shelf-wear at the head and foot extremities.
Library/Inventory Markings: Spine bears white handwritten inventory classifications or shelf-marks (822.1 / H772 / 5/-) painted near the tail, typical of a historic institution or reference collection.
Interior: Firmly bound. Features a frontispiece illustration protected by its original, delicate tissue guard. Pages show minor toning consistent with age, but the textblock remains crisp and readable.
Provenance: Features a beautifully illustrated antiquarian bookplate (Ex Libris) affixed to the front pastedown, belonging to Walter Odling. The bookplate depicts a gothic candelabrum, an inkwell with quills, and an open volume bearing the French maxim, "Un bon livre est un bon ami" (A good book is a good friend).
Walter Odling (1852–1942) was a prominent late-Victorian analytical chemist and consulting brewer. He belonged to a famous circle known to industrial history as the "Burton Scientists."
Based in Burton-on-Trent—the absolute capital of the global brewing industry in the late 19th century—Odling worked alongside legendary pioneers of biochemistry and brewing science like Cornelius O'Sullivan and Horace T. Brown.
Key Significance Factors for the Listing
• Institute of Brewing Founder: Odling was one of the early foundational figures involved in the establishment of the Institute of Brewing in 1886.
• The "Two Walters" Connection: He is frequently associated with his highly distinguished relative, William Odling, a Fellow of the Royal Society and one of the defining English chemists of the Victorian era who helped develop the periodic table.
• Bibliophile Context: The Latin and French on his custom bookplate ("Un bon livre est un bon ami" / A good book is a good friend) highlights his personal identity as an academic collector who curated a serious private library outside of his laboratory work.
