This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...stout old mandolin, in which so many human sorrows had spun tunes out of themselves, as the spiders spin misty grey webs, till it was all haunted with music, soon the old cry went up to the stars again, a thread of supplication spun of the matter which else were distilled in tears, beseeching it knew not what. And, but ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...stout old mandolin, in which so many human sorrows had spun tunes out of themselves, as the spiders spin misty grey webs, till it was all haunted with music, soon the old cry went up to the stars again, a thread of supplication spun of the matter which else were distilled in tears, beseeching it knew not what. And, but that Fate is deaf, all that man asks in music had been granted then. What sorrows had Rodriguez known in his life that he made so sad a melody? I know not. It was the mandolin. When the mandolin was made it knew at once all the sorrows of man, and all the old unnamed longings that none defines. It knew them as the dog knows the alliance that its forefathers made with man. A mandolin weeps the tears that its master cannot shed, or utters the prayers that are deeper than its master's lips can draw, as a dog will fight for his master with teeth that are longer than man's. And if the moonlight streamed on untroubled, and though Fate was deaf, yet the beauty of those fresh strains going starward from under his fingers touched at least the heart of Rodriguez and gilded his dreams and gave to his thoughts a mournful autumnal glory, until he sang all newly as he never had sung before, with limpid voice along the edge of tears, a love-song old as the woods of his father's valleys at whose edge he had heard it once drift through the evening. And as he played and sang with his young soul in the music he fancied (and why not, if they care aught for our souls in Heaven?) he fancied the angels putting their hands each one on a star and leaning out of Heaven through the constellations to listen. "A vile song, sefior, and a vile tune with it," said a voice quite close. However much the words hurt his pride in his mandolin Rodriguez recognised in th...
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Seller's Description:
Good. Frontispiece by Sidney H. Sime, (signed). Small 4to, vellum backed orange brown cloth, leather label. g.t. London: Putnam, (1922). Limited First Edition. Spine label rubbed; covers slightly bowed; the cloth is beginning to separate from the vellum. No. 33 of 500 copies, signed by Dunsany & Sime.
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Seller's Description:
S.H. Sime. Very Good. Small quarto, 10.25 in. x 7.5 in., pp. 322. Limited edition #259/500. Signed by the author in thick ink on the Preface. Signed by the illustrator at the bottom of tissue-guarded frontispiece. Illustrated with frontispiece by S.H. Sime. Quarter vellum with tawny cloth-covered boards with vertical gilt rule. Gilt title on brown panel to spine. Gilt top-edge. Untrimmed fore-and bottom-edges. Light soiling to boards. Scuffing to spine panel. Rubbing to corners, just exposing underlying cardboard. One corner slightly bumped. Marbled endpapers. Pocket scar to front pastedown. Lord Dunsany's signature has slight smear.
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Seller's Description:
Illus. by Sidney H. Sime. Nearly fine copy in the vellum-backed cloth. Tall 8vo, 322 pp., Limited to 500 numbered copies, signed by both the author & illustrator; this is no. 49, Some light foxing to a few early & late pages and to the fore-edge, small stain on front board, else about fine; top edge gilt, leather spine label.
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Seller's Description:
NEAR FINE WITHOUT D.J. FRONTISPIECE BY SIDNEY H. SIME / NO. 54 OF 500 COPIES SIGNED BY BY BOTH THE AUTHOR AND THE ILLUTRATOR SIDNEY H. SIME. QUARTER BOUND ORANGE CLOTH COVERED BOARDS WITH VELLUM SPINE AND LEATHER TITLE LABEL ATTACHED TO SPINE, AND GILT TOP EDGE. BOOK IS FINE WITHOUT ANY MARKS TO THE BINDING OR THE TEXT. A BEAUTIFUL CLEAN, BRIGHT, UNFADED COPY WITH NO REMAINDER MARK.
