Lays and Legends
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1886.
First edition. 197 pp., 5 x 7 inches. Decorated cloth over boards. Moderate wear to edges and corners, but with cover gilt stamping still bright; spine lettering slightly dulled, with one small darkened spot low on the spine; a few tiny spots of puckering to cloth on back cover. Previous owner's elegant small bookplate on front pastedown; hinges weakened but still firm; scattered light foxing and a few well-used openings. Still a solid, very good copy and scarce in decent condition. Item #4641
E. Nesbit, renowned for her immortal children's books, was first published as a poet. Soon after, she began publishing articles on socialism, collaborating with her first husband Hubert Bland under the joint name "Fabian Bland" — they were very early members of the Fabian Society — and short stories for adults and for children.
This collection of poems, her first published book, is relatively common in the third edition of 1892; less so in the second edition of 1887. The first edition is quite uncommon; WorldCat locates just seven institutional holdings in the United States, and roughly the same number in the UK.
Price: $250.00