Paris: Mercure de France, 1920. A very nice copy of this first / limited edition book of poetry. One of 462 copies on Hollande von Gelder (this copy #462). Original soft cream dust wrapper, clean and tidy without marks. The covers are in clean yellow softback sheets. There is also a glassine protective wrapper, which is clean and tidy, with a little nicking / closed tears only. The glassine would appear to be later than the book itself.
Georges Duhamel (1884 – 1966) was a French author, born in Paris. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I was attached to the French Army. In 1920, he published Confession de minuit, the first of a series featuring the anti-hero Salavin. In 1935, he was elected as a member of the Académie française. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twenty-seven times (but never won). He was also the father of the musicologist and composer Antoine Duhamel. 106 pages. 190 by 150mm (7½ by 6 inches).

. Très bel exemplaire de ce premier livre de poésie à tirage limité. Un des 462 exemplaires sur Hollande von Gelder (cet exemplaire #462). La jaquette d'origine crème souple est propre et nette, sans marques. Les couvertures sont en feuillets souples jaunes propres. Il y a aussi un emballage de protection en glassine, qui est propre et en ordre, avec quelques entailles / déchirures fermées seulement. La pochette en verre semble être postérieure au livre lui-même.
Georges Duhamel (1884 - 1966) était un auteur français, né à Paris. Duhamel a suivi une formation de médecin et, pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, il a été attaché à l'armée française. En 1920, il publie Confession de minuit, le premier d'une série mettant en scène l'anti-héros Salavin. En 1935, il est élu membre de l'Académie française. Il a été nommé vingt-sept fois pour le prix Nobel de littérature (mais ne l'a jamais obtenu). Il est également le père du musicologue et compositeur Antoine Duhamel. 106 pages. 190 x 150 mm.

Poitiers: Typographie de A. Dupré, 1877. A lovely copy of this scarce first edition, with a tipped in manuscript letter by the author. half leather binding with marbled boards. gilt titles to the spine. In excellent, clean condition. Tipped in, after the title page, is a single page manuscript letter from Ménard to Gustave Saurin in a neat hand, dated 1856. The pages of the book are clean and neat throughout. 283 pages. 230 by 150mm (9 by 6 inches).

. Un bel exemplaire de cette première édition rare, avec une lettre manuscrite de l'auteur. Reliure en demi-cuir avec des planches marbrées, titres dorés au dos. En excellent état. Une lettre manuscrite d'une page de Ménard à Gustave Saurin, datée de 1856 et écrite d'une main soignée, est jointe à l'ouvrage après la page de titre. Les pages du livre sont propres et nettes. 283 pages. 230 x 150 mm (9 x 6 pouces).

Buenos Aires: Editions des lettres Francaises, 1942. A lovely copy of this second edition (The first was an unauthorised edition printed without the author's permission). Printed in september 1942, this was one of one hundred copies on Holland paper (from a total limitation of 300. This copy, in beautiful condition, is numbered #1. Clean and tidy soft card covers, with just a little darkening to the covers. There are just one or two tiny marks. Internally clean and tidy with no significant flaws. Quite a few pages are uncut. 23.5cm x 21cm. Unpaginated. Saint-John Perse was the pseudonym of Alexis Leger (1887–1975), a French poet, writer, and diplomat who stands as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Perse was dismissed from his post by the Vichy government in 1940, stripped of his French nationality, and forced into exile in the United States. After producing some early work, he then focussed on his diplomatic career. This was his first work on his return to poetry. Perse's work was admired by literary contemporaries such as Paul Claudel, André Gide, and André Breton, who viewed him as a "surrealist at a distance." Particularly interesting for the English reader, is the relationship Perse had with T.S. Eliot.

. Bel exemplaire de cette deuxième édition (la première était une édition non autorisée, imprimée sans la permission de l'auteur). Imprimée en septembre 1942, elle a été tirée à cent exemplaires sur papier Hollande (sur une limitation totale de 300). Cet exemplaire, en très bon état, est numéroté 1. Les couvertures en carton souple sont propres et bien rangées, avec juste un petit assombrissement des couvertures. Il n'y a qu'une ou deux petites marques. L'intérieur de l'ouvrage est propre et bien rangé, sans aucun défaut notable. Plusieurs pages ne sont pas coupées. 23,5 cm x 21 cm. Non paginé. Saint-John Perse était le pseudonyme d'Alexis Leger (1887-1975), poète, écrivain et diplomate français qui est l'une des figures littéraires les plus importantes du XXe siècle. Perse a été démis de ses fonctions par le gouvernement de Vichy en 1940, déchu de sa nationalité française et contraint à l'exil aux États-Unis. Après avoir produit quelques œuvres de jeunesse, il s'est concentré sur sa carrière diplomatique. C'est la première fois qu'il revient à la poésie. L'œuvre de Perse était admirée par des contemporains littéraires tels que Paul Claudel, André Gide et André Breton, qui le considéraient comme un "surréaliste à distance". La relation de Perse avec T.S. Eliot est particulièrement intéressante pour le lecteur anglais.

London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kents & Co Ltd, 1922. First Edition. A very nice copy of this collection of poetry. Bound in stiff blue grey boards, with light grey cloth spine. Gilt embossed titles to front board and spine. A little marking to the boards, but overall in very good condition. Printed by the Mayflower Press, Plymouth, on high quality bond paper. In good, clean condition internally. 112 pages. 20.5cm x 14cm. James Laver (1899–1975) was a British poet, novelist, playwright, art critic, and a highly influential historian of costume and fashion. Though Laver is now primarily remembered for his pioneering work in the history of fashion and his role as Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum, his poetry and fiction were well regarded in his time, and he was considered a master of light verse.

Dublin: A. Reilly, 1744. In two volumes. Presumably the Irish pirated version of Bentham's Cambridge edition of the same year. Bound in original full calf. With wood-engraved portrait frontispiece (by Vertue after Soest), and 16 fine wood-engraved plates (by Mynde after Hogarth), five of which are folding. Full index at the end of each volume. The first edition to include Zachary Grey's extensive notes. Volume I - xxxvi, 399, [xv] pp. Volume II - 414, [vxiii] pp. The binding has been skillfully restored, with red morocco labels, lettered, numbered and ruled in gilt. Boards are in good condition with only a little rubbing to edges and corners. New end papers. Small pen squiggle to end paper in volume one. Small neat signatures to title pages. Lacks the list of subscribers (often missing) at end of the first volume.
The work is directed against religious sectarianism. The first part of Hudibras was written in 1658, and the other two in 1664 and 1678 respectively. Very popular in its time, the poem was sufficiently popular to spawn imitators.
One early purchaser of the first two parts was Samuel Pepys. Whilst Pepys acknowledged that the book was the "greatest fashion" he could not see why it was deemed so witty. Hudibras was reprinted many times in the centuries following Butler's death.

London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd, 1944. Original green cloth with gilt titles to the front board. Cream dust wrapper - plain with titles in black to the front cover and spine. Lengthy gift inscription from the author to the Reverend Mother Superior of Syon Abbey (South Brent) with thanks for their prayers and support. Frontis photograph (black and white) of the author at work. The wrapper is in very good condition. No chips. A tiny closed nick to the base of the spine only and slight handling. The cream remains clean and tidy with just fractional darkening to the wrapper. The cloth is clean and tidy with fractional sunning to the base of the spine. Intermittent light foxing, otherwise very clean. No marks other than the author's inscription. 48 pages.
Captain Jack (John Newman) Gilbey b.1888 was the older brother of Alfred Newman Gilbey, Roman Catholic priest and longtime Catholic chaplain of Cambridge University. He was the author of several collections of devotional poetry.

London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd: 1936. First edition. Original green cloth with gilt titles to the front board. Cream dust wrapper - plain with titles in black to the front cover and spine. Gift inscription from the author to the Sisters of Syon Abbey (South Brent). Frontis photograph (black and white) of the author at work. The wrapper is in good condition. No chips. A tiny closed nick to the head of the spine only and slight handling. The cream remains mainly clean and tidy with just a little darkening and marking to the wrapper. The cloth is clean and tidy with fractional sunning to the base of the spine. Intermittent light foxing, otherwise clean. No marks other than the author's inscription. There are the signs of some damp staining to the inside boards, and likewise the last few pages are slightly crinkled, but not bad overall. 64 pages.
Captain Jack (John Newman) Gilbey b.1888 was the older brother of Alfred Newman Gilbey, Roman Catholic priest and longtime Catholic chaplain of Cambridge University. He was the author of several collections of devotional poetry.

Paris: L'edition d'art H. Piazza, 1920. Third edition. An attractive edition of this work. Hardback with half cream spine and marbled boards. A little darkening / marking to the boards with some scuffing to the spine. Internally clean and tidy throughout with a touch of darkening only. Original soft back cover retained. Golden image to frontis. The pages have attractive vignettes throughout. 203 pages. 155 by 115mm (6 by 4½ inches). Troisième édition. Belle édition de cet ouvrage. Relié avec demi-dos crème et plats marbrés. Un peu d'assombrissement / marquage sur les planches avec quelques éraflures sur le dos. Intérieurement propre et bien rangé avec une touche d'assombrissement seulement. Dos souple d'origine conservé. Image dorée au frontis. Les pages ont des vignettes attrayantes tout au long. 203pages. 155 par 115 mm

Paris: Léon Willem, 1879. First edition. Limited to only 450 copies - of which 100 are on papier de Hollande. This copy is #34/100. Original SoftBack. Covers are slightly darkened. There has been cracking to the spine, and this has been reinforced with archival tape. (See picture) But the binding is still slightly loose. Internally in good shape with fractionally darkened pages. À nice bibliophile edition viii, 108 pages. 16.5cm x 11cm. Guy de Tours [1551-1611] was born Michel Guy. He was a French poet and lawyer from Tours. An admirer of the poet Ronsard, he developed his own unique poetic style. Known for his rich vocabulary and diverse themeshis poetry includes love poems praising various mistresses, subtle erotic sonnets, and politically engaged verses, including tributes to King Henry IV. Guy de Tours chose his poetic name by combining his first name with his hometown, Besides his literary work, he was also active as an avocat (lawyer) in the présidial court of Tours.

. Première édition. Limitée à seulement 450 exemplaires - dont 100 sur papier de Hollande. Cet exemplaire est le n° 34/100. Couverture souple originale. Les couvertures sont légèrement assombries. Le dos s'est fissuré et a été renforcé avec du ruban adhésif d'archivage. (Voir la photo). Mais la reliure est encore un peu lâche. L'intérieur est en bon état, avec des pages légèrement assombries. À nice bibliophile edition viii, 108 pages. 16.5cm x 11cm. Guy de Tours [1551-1611] est né Michel Guy. C'est un poète et avocat français originaire de Tours. Admirateur du poète Ronsard, il a développé son propre style poétique. Connu pour la richesse de son vocabulaire et la diversité de ses thèmes, sa poésie comprend des poèmes d'amour louant diverses maîtresses, des sonnets érotiques subtils et des vers politiquement engagés, notamment des hommages au roi Henri IV. Guy de Tours a choisi son nom poétique en combinant son prénom avec celui de sa ville natale. Outre son travail littéraire, il a également été actif en tant qu'avocat à la cour présidiale de Tours.

London: William Heinemann, 1898. First Edition. Hardback. A decent, and slightly repaired copy of this set of lithographed illustrations by Nicholson. The binding has been restored with a cloth backstrip, and reinforced to the front and rear hinge inside as well. A little rubbing to the edges of the boards, with some slight chipping. Inside, the pages and plates are in very nice condition, with just a little of darkening to the text pages. 12 colour plates, title and a further 10 leaves of text, including a final leaf with a facsimile of a hand written poem by Henley. Adverts to rear. 340 by 290mm (13½ by 11½ inches). In this first edition, the bus driver only appears on the front board, not as a plate inside. Illustrations include the Guardsman, Hawker, Beef-Eater, Sandwich-Man, Coster, Lady, Bluecoat Boy, Policeman, Newsboy, Drum-Major, Flower Girl, Barmaid, each with the London location they are to be found in.