Prophecies of Robert Nixon, Mother Shipton, and Martha, the Gipsy.
London: Published for Booksellers, ND (Circa 1866?). First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Small format (5 x 3.75 inches). 258pp. Original cloth decorated in blind, spine lettered and illustrated in gilt. B&w frontis representing a palm-reading. A nineteenth century collection of the life and prophecies of Richard Nixon, Mother Shipton, and someone named as the "Martha, the Gipsy." Nixon, also known as "the Cheshire Prophet" was born in the late fifteenth century. Apart from typically cryptic utterances which were later said to have foretold events as diverse as the invention of the cigarette and the result of the Battle of Bosworth Field, Nixon was famously said to have predicted his own death by starvation, which apparently took place in the court of King Richard the third, when Nixon was locked in a cupboard - either for his own protection or because he irritated his custodians enormously (accounts vary) - and the person who was entrusted with his care was called away and forgot him. Appended to this is a short collection of prophecies by Mother Shipton, (Ursula Southill: c. 1488 – 1561) perhaps the most famous of English soothsayers, who seems to have been as renowned for her unfortunate visage as she was as a prophetess. The collection is undated, but the British Library appear to have acquired their copy circa 1866 so it is probably safe to say it dates from that year or a little earlier. Contents: The life of Robert Nixon, commonly called the Cheshire prophet; The original predictions of Robert Nixon, as delivered by himself; The following predictions of Robert Nixon are copied from old pamphlets; Nixon's Cheshire prophecy at large, from Lady Cowper's copy; Prophecy of the French Revolution, from a publication by the late Mr. Peter Jurieu, in 1687; Extracts from sermons by Dr. John Gill; An extraordinary prediction relating to the downfall of the House of Bourbon and the House of Austria, related by Mr. John Wesley; Prophecies of Mother Shipton, and Martha, the Gipsy. Boards rubbed, edges and points a bit chafed, corners bumped - light crease to upper corner of top board, edges and endpapers a bit darkened and discoloured, pages toned but unmarked. Overall a tight clean VG copy. Very scarce. Item #61333
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