"THE ENGLISH READER OR PIECES IN PROSE AND POETRY" AND "COLUMBIAN ORATOR": TWO LEATHERBOUND BOOKS. First, by Lindley Murray, 1799 edition, printed and sold by Isaac Collins, New York. .Octavo, brown leather, hard cover, 358-pages, a bit scuffed but otherwise in excellent condition. As a young man and auto-didact Lincoln had a passion for reading. He is known to have had a copy of this book. The book's subtitle explains it is "designed to assist young persons to read with propriety and effect to improve their language and sentiments and to inculcate some of the most important principles of piety and virtue." Second, by Caleb Bingham, 1807, Lincoln and Gleason, Hartford, CT, hard-cover, brown leather bound, octavo, 300-pages. Lincoln is known to have used his copy of this book extensively as he honed his legal and political career. Collection of a Retired Journalist Estimate $30-50
