Blake (William).- Wollstonecraft (Mary) Original Stories from Real Life; with Conversations, calculated to regulate the affections, and form the mind to truth and goodness, first illustrated edition, 3 engraved plates by William Blake (of 6), lacking preliminary ff. A3&4 and final advertisement f., text of stories complete, first f. of contents repaired missing piece to outer margin, with loss of a few letters, plate at p.74 ('Indeed we are very happy') with very short repaired tear, just within image, plate at p.94 ('Be calm my child') detached and with piece missing from inner lower margin (not affecting image or caption), plate at p.114 ('Trying to trace the sound I discovered...') with short repaired tear within image at foot, final f. laid down, obscuring advertisements, offsetting, some spotting or staining, lightly browned, contemporary calf, lacking upper cover, lower cover detached, backstrip worn, rubbed and scuffed, [Bentley 514; Gumuchian 5854; Osborne p.255; Rothschild 2597; Windle A3b], large 12mo, Printed for J. Johnson, No. 72, St. Paul's Church-yard, 1791. sold not subject to return.

⁂ Wollstonecraft's only complete work of children's literature, which promotes her views on the education of women. Centrally is the belief that in order for women to emerge as rational adults (and thereby enrich and greatly improve contemporary society) it was essential for them to be properly educated as children.