"The History of English Literature with An Outline of the Origin and Growth of the English Language, illustrated by Extracts. For the Use of Schools and of Private Students", by William Spalding, A.M., published by Appleton, New York, MDCCCLXI [1861]. Early printing of the first American edition which was issued by Appleton in 1853.

Hard boards, original cloth, leather spine [leather damages and repairs: see photos], 5" x 7.1/2"; publisher's ads on the endpapers, 413 pages + publisher's catalog, some soiling; label with the name "Wm. H. White" inside cover, ink written "Wm. H. White, University of Va., Senior 1865-6" is on the front endpaper ;good+ condition.

William Spalding (1809-1859) was a Scottish writer and academic. For the last twenty years of his life he served as professor of rhetoric and logic, in addition to authoring essays, reviews and historical texts. He published a notable "Letter on Shakespeare's Authorship of the two Noble Kinsmen," a Drama commonly ascribed to John Fletcher,’ Edinburgh, of which a reprint was issued by the New Shakespeare Society in 1876. He had made an exhaustive study of the Shakespearean and Elizabethan drama, and contributed articles on Shakespearean Literature, on Beaumont and Fletcher editions of Shakespeare. Through the interest of Jeffrey he was elected on 2 Nov. 1840 to the chair of rhetoric and belles-letters in the University of Edinburgh, which he exchanged in 1845 for that of logic, rhetoric, and metaphysics at St. Andrews.

Provenance:

From the library of William Henry White (1847-1920), attended the Virginia Military Institute, at Lexington, Virginia, in 1864 and 1865; in 1865-66 and 1866-67, the University of Virginia, but did not take a degree for want of time to complete the course. His educational work was interrupted by the state of war then prevailing, and while at the Virginia Military Institute he served with the corps of cadets from that institution at the battle of New Market, Virginia. He studied law and began to practice, April 17, 1868, at Portsmouth, Virginia.

He was elected commonwealth attorney for Norfolk County in 1869, and removed to Norfolk City in 1870; was elected commonwealth attorney for Norfolk City in 1871. He was United States district attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, 1893-97, during President Cleveland's second administration. In 1873 he formed a partnership to practice law with Judge Theodore S. Garnett, under the name of White & Garnett, which continued until 1903, and shortly after the last mentioned date he formed another co-partnership under the firm name of White, Tunstall & Thom, attorneys-at-law, which continued until January 1, 1907, when Mr. White retired from the firm. He was general counsel for the City Gas Company, of Norfolk; the Old Dominion Steamship Company, and of the Norfolk & Southern Railroad Company. He became president of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company. January 1, 1907, also of the Washington Southern Railway Company at the same time, and soon afterward moved to Richmond, Virginia, to assume his official duties.

A tradition handed down in the family of William Henry White relates that the family is descended from one of two brothers who came from Wales during the colonial period of Virginia, one of whom was drowned in landing from the ship on which they came, and the other brother settled in Gloucester county, Virginia, where he married a Miss Robbins, and had issue. The emigrant ancestor of Gloucester county thus became the founder of this particular White family in Virginia.

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