1910 Rare Book ~ THE FAERY QUEEN and her Knights, Stories from Spencer By A. J. Church. Illustrated.
(Description)
Author: Stories retold from Edmund SPENSER by the Rev. Alfred J. Church.
Title: THE FAERY QUEEN and Her Knights. With Illustrations in Colour.
Publisher: London, Seeley & Co. Limited, 1910. First thus.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 " X 5.5 ".
Pages: vi-309 pages + publisher's catalog.
Binding: Attractive and very good full cloth gilt decorated binding (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A rare find in any condition!
Content: Very good content (bright and tight, some light foxing and staining - as shown, gift note of a previous 1909 owner on the half title - as shown).
Illustrations: Complete with eight beautiful full-page color illustrations.
Estimate: (Scarce with few other copies available for sale worldwide).
The book: Scarce early 20th century illustrated edition of the Faerie Queene. The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books I–III were first published in 1590, and then republished in 1596 together with books IV–VI. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it is one of the longest poems in the English language as well as the work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as the Spenserian stanza. On a literal level, the poem follows several knights as a means to examine different virtues, and though the text is primarily an allegorical work, it can be read on several levels of allegory, including as praise (or, later, criticism) of Queen Elizabeth I. In Spenser's "Letter of the Authors", he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in Allegorical devices", and the aim of publishing The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline".
The author: Edmund Spenser (1552/1553 – 13 January 1599) was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of nascent Modern English verse, and is often considered one of the greatest poets in the English language.