Manningham Sir Richard (1690 1759) An Exact Diary of what wa

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Manningham, Sir Richard (1690-1759) An Exact Diary of what was observ'd during a Close Attendance upon Mary Toft, the Pretended Rabbet-Breeder. Octavo, [A]4, B-E4 (E4 blank & present), half-title present, disbound, 7 3/8 x 4 3/4 in. London: for Fletcher Gyles and sold by J. Roberts, 1726.

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First edition. Mary Toft (d. 1763) caused quite a stir in 1726 when she gave birth to fifteen dead baby bunnies after an encounter with a rabbit. In his probing and skeptical account, Manningham gives detailed bedside notes, including Toft's ultimate confession of fraud. Toft's story is a bewildering comment on early 18th century western social issues and the popular understanding of reproduction. See Edward White's "An Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbits," in The Paris Review, July 5, 2016; ESTC T56206.