With the original illustrations of « Phiz »
 
Extrait du livre
 
   Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o’clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike and I began to cry simultaneously.
   In consideration of the day and hour of my birth, it was declared by the nurse, and by some sage women in the neighbourhood who had taken a lively interest in me several months before there was any possibility of our becoming personally acquainted, first, that I was destined to be unlucky in life ; and secondly, that I was privileged to see ghosts and spirits ; both these gifts inevitably attaching, as they believed, to all unlucky infants of either gender, born towards the small hours on a Friday night.
   I need say nothing here on the first head, because nothing can show better than my history whether that prediction was verified or falsified by the result. On the second branch of the question, I will only remark, that unless I ran through that part of my inheritance while I was still a baby, I heve not come into it yet. But I do not at all complain of having been kept out of this property ; and if anybody else should be in the present enjoyment of it, he is heartily welcome to keep it.
   I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether seagoing people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets, I don’t know ; all I know is, that there was but one solitary bidding, and that was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offered two pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to be guaranteed from drowning on any higher bargain.

Editions Grant Richards année fin du XIXème siècle, état général correct, couverture rigide, couverture tranche et dos marqués, intérieur de la couverture un peu délié, tranches des pages jaunies et salies, intérieur jauni, livre d’occasion relié grand format de 16,5x22,8 cm, 520 pages.