NATIONAL WORTHIES. Being a Selection from the National Portrait Gallery

8vo : Short for Octavo, A book whose page size is approximately 8-10 inches tall. The size is based on a sheet of paper 25 inches by 38 inches, the size of paper traditionally used by book printers, which has been folded and cut into 16 pages.. Unfortunately often misunderstood to mean 8 volumes.

soiled : Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.

endpapers : The first and last two pages (verso and recto) from the front and back of a book.