The Folk-Songs of Southern India.

Madras: Higginbotham and Co.,, 1871. First edition, scarce in commerce, of Grover's collection of popular songs alongside explanatory text. "His collection of fast-disappearing indigenous material has continued to be of great value to scholars, as testified in the 1959 reprint in Madras of The Folk-Songs" (ODNB) Charles Edward Grover (1835-1872) was one of the first translators of the Tirukkural into English. He lived in modern-day Chennai in India and worked as principal and secretary of the Madras Military Male Orphan Asylum. Grover was also a member of the Royal Asiatic Society and wrote several papers for them. "One of Gover's aims was to draw the attention of the general public to the way of life of south India's peoples, and their extensive folk literature. This he helped achieve by the publication of several of his papers in the popular Cornhill Magazine, while his book, The Folk-Songs, also drew praise for its accurate and spirited picture of peasant life" (ODNB). A second edition was published in London in 1872. Octavo. With occasional engravings to text. Original green cloth, front cover lettered and decoratively panelled in gilt, gilt vignette of a temple to front cover, pattern reproduced in blind on rear cover, all edges red. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper ("Rowland Hill September 1876"). Foot of spine consolidated with adhesive, spine perhaps cleaned, wear and bumping to extremities, occasional foxing to contents. A very good copy.