A Masque.
Comus A Masque.
Heinemann, 1921.
First edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham. 4to. Green cloth with gilt lettering and vignettes. Top edge green. With a loose Heinemann subscription card. Pale blue endpapers with illustrations in white silhouette, 24 tipped in colour plates under captioned tissue guards, plus lots of black and white drawings. A near fine copy, slightly bumped to corner and light foxing to preliminaries.
Comus is the renowned masque in honour of chastity, first performed at Ludlow Castle in 1634 to celebrate the Earl of Bridgewater's new position as the Lord President of Wales.
Rackham's darkly fantastical style is perfectly suited to this story of a maiden lost in an ominous forest, resisting the enchantment of Comus, the hedonistic son of Bacchus and Circe, and his troupe of of animal-headed revellers.
Stock ID: 46751
