Morris's Epic
of Hades, in Fine Binding with Fore-Edge Painting
[Morris, Sir Lewis], THE EPIC OF
HADES IN THREE BOOKS (London: Henry S. King & Co., 1877).
First edition thus, 16.5 x 10cm (small 8vo), handsomely bound in
midnight blue crushed morocco by Birdsall & Son, Northampton
(stamped in gilt to fr. turn-in) w/gilt ornaments & borders to
covers & spine, gilt title & 4 raised bands to spine, a.e.g. with
fore-edge painting of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Proserpine,
decorative gilt turn-ins, burgundy ep.s, [i-iv + i-iii] iv, [1-3] 4-76
+ [i-ii] [1] 2-152 + [1-3] 4-54 pp. Printed at the Caxton Press,
Beccles. With the decorative bookplate of Eleonora Lady Trevelyan
(designed by William Bell Scott, w/his monogram & date
["1857-8"]--see Franks 1906 #6015) to fr. pastedown, & inscr.
"Eleonora A. Trevelyan, July 1877, prs: by J. Bright" to
titlepage. Binding Very Good (extremities sl. rubbed); contents
Near-Fine. Colbeck 6. (Inv. #778) C$1,000
On 14 Oct. 1875 Eleonora (aka Eleanor) Anne Campbell
became the 2nd wife of Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan, who inherited the
Wallington Estate from Sir Walter Trevelyan in 1879. When
considering this book's subject, the fore-edge painting of Rossetti's Proserpine
is entirely appropriate; the combination of that & the bookplate
designed by Bell Scott makes this book a true Pre-Raphaelite
association copy. Rossetti & Bell Scott were close friends of
the Trevelyans & visited Wallington Hall on numerous occasions.
