[Rarebooks] FS: LITERATURE, REDUCTIONS

[Norman Kane]

CHESTERTON, G. K.  THE CRIMES OF ENGLAND.  London, (1915).  First edition. Small octavo, rebound from wrappers in patterned boards with leather title label on spine, name on end paper. A satiric rending of European politics, policies, and the opinions of the people, especially those of the British and the Prussians reflecting the volatile state affairs of the day. ($40)  $20

DUNSANY, LORD.  A NIGHT AT AN INN, A PLAY IN ONE ACT.  N.Y., 1916.  First edition.  Original printed wrappers, small signature on end paper, [6], 34 pages.  (Neighborhood Playhouse Plays No. I.  The N.Y. 1916 production had a cast of Jewish actors.)  ($30)  $12.50

MERRICK, Leonard.  THE WORLDLINGS.  London, 1900.  First edition.  Original tan cloth decoratively stamped in red and black, in original printed dust wrapper. Top edge gilt. 8 x 5 1/2 inches; 342 pages, [6] pages ads at end.  Near fine in fair to good dust wrapper with spine panel exhibiting browning, a small (1/2 x 1 inch) chip, not affecting lettering, extensive internal tape repairs, and small external tape repair on rear hinge.  A scarce novel; rare with the dust wrapper in any condition.  ( 40)  $20

BURNS (Robert).  THE JOLLY BEGGARS - A Cantata.  Edited By John C. Weston.  Gehenna Press, 1963.  1 of 300 unnumbered copies (preceded by 300 copies in cloth-backed marbled boards) - the so-called trade printing.  Quarto, approx 11 x 8.75 inches. Woodcut portrait of Robert Burns by Gillian Lewis.  Gray cloth, one inch tear at the lower end of the spine. ($40)  $15

KEMBLE, J[ohn] P[hilip]. (1757-1823).  LODOISKA; An Opera; in Three Acts, as Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane.  London, 1813.  Small octavo, approx 8 x 5 inches. 47,(i) pp with publisher's advt on the final page. Disbound. Without music, as published. Slight dust soil on front & rear pages. [Polish locale, the performers consist of Poles & Tartars. By Fanny Kemble's uncle, himself a famed actor & producer.]  ($40)  $17.50

HOWARD, ROBERT.  THE COMMITTEE, A COMEDY.  London,  [actually, The Hague?], Printed for the Company, ca. 1730 ?.  8vo, disbound;  96 pages. Light corner soiling to first few pages.  A scarce edition. Considered the best of his 4 plays, "notable for  its creation of the comic Irish servant, Teague,  and for the strength of its female characters,"  (Cambridge Guide to Literature in English.)  Some editions have the sub-title, "The Faithful Irishman." ($40) $25

HUME, [John].  DOUGLAS, A TRAGEDY.  London, 1778.  Duodecimo, approx 7 x 4.25 inches; 57, (i) pages. Engraved frontispiece of Mr. Webster in the Character of Douglas. "Bell's Edition" at the head of the title. Later cloth, institutional book-plate. (The author's name is usually given as John Home, 1722-1808. He was an intimate friend of his relative, the philosopher David Hume.  Other friends included the poet Collins, Adam Smith & Sir Walter Scott. He was the tutor of the Prince of Wales (afterwards George III).   This "Douglas" is founded in part on the Scottish ballad of "Childe Maurice" (the "Gil Morris" of Percy's "Reliques.")  Garrick had refused to stage it in 1755, but it was a great success in Edinburgh in 1756 and at Covent Garden in 1757 when it was extravagantly praised by Hume & Sheridan.
($30)  $15

BARNES, Djuna. THE ANTIPHON. A Play.  N.Y., (1958).  1st edition. See Messerli 7. Octavo (approx 9 x 5.5 inches), original reddish-purple cloth, spine lettered in gilt with background of title in gray, original dust wrapper with spine panel a little age darkened, small piece gone from top of spine panel, overall very good.  ($35)  $15

AYCKBOURN, Alan.  ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR. A New Comedy.  N.Y.: Theatre Guild, [1974].  Duplicated typed script in flexible binding with gilt title on front cover and paper title label on spine. 11 x 8-1/2 inches. Script for this very 
popular play’s Broadway premiere.   Not in OCLC.  ($40) $10

BECKETT, Samuel.  ALL THAT FALL, A PLAY FOR RADIO.  London, (1957).  First edition.  Attractive pictorial wrappers by Peter Snow, 36, [1] pages.  Clipping laid in concerning the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Beckett.  ($40)  $20

[HURLBERT, William Henry].  AMERICANS IN PARIS; OR , A GAME OF DOMINOES. A COMEDY, IN TWO ACTS.  N.Y., 1858.
In series "FRENCH'S STANDARD DRAMA. No. CCIX."  "The Acting Edition. ... As Performed at Wallack's Theater."  With Cast of Characters, Stage Business, Costumes, Relative Positions, &c, &c. 12mo in printed orange  wraps. 32 pages. First and only edition in OCLC.  Roden, “Early American Plays”, p. 68.   A very good copy with slight chipping to top right corner and light, occasional spotting to a few of the first and last pages. South Carolina author.  ($35) $20

BURGOYNE, Lieut. Gen. John.  THE HEIRESS. A COMEDY IN FIVE ACTS.  Dublin: Chamberlaine, &c, n.d., [1786?]  "As performed at the Theatre-Royal Drury-Lane." xi, (1), 84 pages. Disbound, some pages with foxing. Top corner of last three leaves chipped with loss of page number on last page, but no loss of text.  A very successful play by the British general who surrendered at Saratoga, a turning point in the American Revolution.  ($40)  $20

WHITEHEAD, W[illiam].  THE ROMAN FATHER, A TRAGEDY AS IT IS ACTED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL IN DRURY-LANE, BY HIS MAJESTY'S SERVANTS.  London: Dodsley, 1750.  "Second Edition."  8vo, disbound; [8], 84 pages.  Fly title present. Garrick produced this play with some success in 1750. Later Whitehead was ridiculed by Chas. Churchill and others for the verses he turned out as poet laureate.  ($55)  $25

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