1898 The Shepheard's Calendar by Edmund Spenser / Newly Adorned With Twelve Pictures and Other Devices by Walter Crane / Excellent Condition

In absolutely excellent condition for sale here is an antique copy of 'The Shepheard's Calender by Edmund Spenser, 'Twelve Aeglogues proportionable to the twelve monethes entitled to the noble and vertuous gent: Leman most worthy of all titles both of learning and chivalry, Master Philip Sidney'. Published in 1898 by Harper & Brothers of London. With beautifully decorative boards, illustrations inside and each page is framed in an elaborate floral line-drawn frame all by Walter Crane. A superb copy, in fact at time of writing I cannot find another one as good as this for sale anywhere.

The Shepheard's Tale was Edmund Spenser's first major poetic work, published in 1579. In emulation of Virgil's first work, the Eclogues, Spenser wrote this series of pastorals at the commencement of his career. However, Spenser's models were rather the Renaissance eclogues of Mantuanus. The title, like the entire work, is written using deliberately archaic spellings, in order to suggest a connection to medieval literature, and to Geoffrey Chaucer in particular. The poem introduces Colin Clout, a folk character originated by John Skelton, and depicts his life as a shepherd through the twelve months of the year. The Calender encompasses considerable formal innovations, anticipating the even more virtuosic Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia (The "Old" Arcadia, 1580), the classic pastoral romance by Sir Philip Sidney, with whom Spenser was acquainted. The term sarcasm is first recorded in English in Spenser's poem.

Inside the rough cut pages are clean, bright and tightly bound with no cracked hinges. The edges have tanned slightly just where they protrude. The top edge is tinted green. The frontispiece still has the original tissue guard in place, clean and bright.

Olive-green cloth covered boards have elaborate decoration to the front and back boards, and to the spine. In top order - with just some very slight rubbing to the decoration and one thin scratch line on the front, but minor.

A really lovely edition. Your antique copy of The Shepheard's Calendar will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel.

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H 21.5 x 17 cm, 118 pages, 0.54 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (There are just a very few countries which I am unable to ship to).

* If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped and sent simply in the full protective packaging please add a note to the order.

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