51. McDonagh, Philip.

Memories of an Ionian Diplomat.

Delhi, Ravi Dayal Publisher, 2004. 22 cm x 14 cm. IX, 99 pages. Original Hardcover with dustjacket. In protective mylar. Excellent, close to new condition. Association copy: Inscribed / Signed by the author Philip McDonagh to fellow irish poet, Adam Wyeth: “Adam, with best wishes, Philip McDonagh, 25th August, 2006”.

52. Leland, Mary.

The Lie of the Land: Journeys through Literary Cork.

Cork, Cork University Press, 1999. 21,2 cm x 13,7 cm. VII, 264 pages. Whit maps and illustrations Original Illustrated softcover. Very Good condition with only minor signs of external wear.

53. Yeats, William Butler / [George [Georgie] Yeats / Mrs. Eva Hempel / Eduard Hempel].

Pages from a Diary Written in Nineteen Hundred and Thirty. [Signed / Inscribed by George Yeats to Mrs. [Eva] Hempel, wife of german ambassador to Ireland during World War II].

No.8 / 200 copies, of the original limited edition. Dublin, The Cuala Press, 1944 [September 1944]. Octavo. 58 pages. Original Hardcover. Inscribed by George Yeats on the front free endpaper: “Mrs. Hempel from George Yeats, April 1944”. This has to be of course “April 1945”. The impossibility of signing/inscribing a book in April 1944 if it was only published in September 1944 is easily explained with the classic everyday-mistake of still writing the previous year in the first few months of the following year. A stunning association. The signature and inscription is a solid match to George Yeats’ autographs in her later hand and William Butler Yeats and George Yeats were frequent visitors to the Hempel’s in Dublin. In addition, the low number of the edition (8/200) suggests this being one of the reference copies given to George Yeats, who contributed heavily to the volume and even added an explanatory note (in print) verso the titlepage. This copy is near fine, bound in the publisher’s quarter buckram over yellow, paper-covered boards. The books pages remained unopened. Eva Hempel’s husband Eduard Hempel is one of the most controversial figures in modern Irish history, excoriated by some as ‘Hitler’s man’, defended by others such as the country’s first President, Eamon De Valera. Certainly, Hempel presented William Butler Yeats in 1938 with a copy of ‘Germany Speaks’ whose inscription described an ‘unforgettable afternoon’ spent together by Yeats and Hempel. Eduard Hempel and his wife were accepted socialites in the Dublin world of World War II, famously receiving a condolence call by de Valera upon the death of Hitler. Eduard Hempel and his wife Eva were granted asylum in Ireland after world war II and stayed way beyond the end of World War II.

54. Yeats, W.B.

Drømmerier over barneår og ungdom. [First Danish Edition of “Reveries over Childhood and Youth”]. Oversat af Valdemar Rørdam.

København/Kristiania, Haase/Cammermeyer, 1924. Octavo. 180 pages. Original softcover / Publisher’s printed wrappers. The very fragile wrappers in unusually, very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Name of former owner William Borberg on titlepage. Rare !

55. Wilde, Oscar.

The Duchess of Padua – A Play.

Second Edition. London, Methuen & Co., 1909. Small Octavo. VI, [3], 183 pages. Original Hardcover / Original, very decorative publisher’s cloth with bevelled edges and gilt lettering and ornament to spine and cover. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only.

56. Wilde, Oscar.

Collection of Four Rare Presentation Review Copies of Publisher Methuen & Co., with publisher’s Ephemera (presentation-slip regarding the wish for Review and publication-date, as well as a booklet “The Library of Devotion”) / The collection includes: 1. Intentions (4th Edition, 1909) / 2. Lady Windermere’s Fan – A Play about a Good Woman (3rd Edition, 1909) / 3. An Ideal Husband (3rd Edition, 1909) / 4. The Importance of Being Earnest – A Trivial Comedy for Serious People (3rd Edition, 1909).

4 Volumes. London, Methuen & Co., 1909. Small Octavo. Pagination: “Intentions”: 263 pages / “Lady Windermere’s Fan”: 157 pages / “An Ideal Husband”: 246 pages / “The Importance of Being Earnest”: 181 pages. Original Hardcover / Original, very decorative publisher’s cloth with bevelled edges and gilt lettering and ornament to spine and cover. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear and mild staining to bindings only.

57. [Swift, Jonathan] Irving, David.

The Elements of English Composition [With an essay on ‘Critical examinations of a passage in the writings of [Jonathan] Swift’].

The Fourth Edition. London, Printed for Richard Phillips, 1816. Octavo. X, 318 pages. Hardcover / Original publisher’s interimsbinding. Binding slightly rubbed. Endpaper with small abrasion (minor tear). Bookseller-sign on pastedown: “Sold by J.Bolster, Bookseller, No.7, Patrick Street, Cork”. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle) / Name of preowner John Meade in ink on titlepage.

58. Sheridan, Thomas / [Benjamin Franklin (mentioned as Subscriber with his address as Ambassador in Paris) / George Washington (mentioned as Subscriber)].

A General Dictionary of the English Language – One main Object of which, is, to establish a plain and permanent Standard of Pronunciation. To which is Prefixed A Rhetorical Grammar. Dedicated to the Volunteers of Ireland. [Including a List of Subscribers mentioning among others also: “Benjamin Franklin (Esq. Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of North America, at Paris, who ordered 20 copies)” / Mentioning also as Subscriber: “His Excellency General George Washington, Commander in Chief of all the Forces of the United States of North America”)].

First Dublin Edition. Dublin, Printed by P.Wogan at The Old Bridge and P.Byrne, College-Green, 1784. Octavo (14 cmx 21 cm). [10], LXIX, 825 [unnumbered] pages. Including a lenghty section mentioning the Irish Subscribers to this Dictionary with name and town. Hardcover / Original 18th century full leather with original, red spine-label with gilt lettering. In protective Mylar. Binding rubbed and with some minor loss to leather. The binding firm and strong and endpapers and pastdeowns intact and NOT cracked ! Small signs of a faded dampstain without any consequence to the very good condition throughout. One page with a tear (Letter G). The unpaginated section was collated as complete.

59. Shaw, Bernard.

Back to Methuselah [A Metabiological Pentateuch]. [With several items of Ephemera included] With a Preface by Mr.Shaw and with Wood Engravings by John Farleigh.

New York, The Limited Editions Club, 1939. 19 cm x 28 cm. LVI, 260 pages. Original Hardcover with illustrated dustjacket in protective slip-case. Excellent condition edition with only very minor signs of external wear to the slipcase. The ephemeral items include an advertising card for this publication from “The Leicester Galleries, London” , The Monthly Letter of the Limited Editions Clb from July, 1939, Number 119. The printed Letter’s title was: “If there are Four Hitlers” / Also included is a pamphlet of the Limited Editions Club on the artwork of John Farleigh.

60. [Rees-Mogg, William / Cholwell House] [Lever, Charles].

Arthur O’Leary – His Wanderings and Ponderings in Many Lands. Edited by his friend, Harry Lorrequer and Illustrated by George Cruikshank. [William Rees-Mogg’s personal copy from his library at Cholwell House and with his armorial Bookplate / Exlibris to pastedown].

New Edition. London, Henry Colburn, 1845. Octavo. Frontispiece-Portrait of Arthur O’Leary, 364 pages with ten illustrations by Cruikshank (including the Frontispiece). Hardcover / Original 19th century half leather with two spine-labels, professionally rebacked and restored by a professional bookbindery. Original pastedowns retained with the original bookbindery-label of C.T.Jefferies & Sons from Bristol. Some of the Cruikshank-plates very good, some with strong foxing (as usual). The text fresh and clean. After the restoration, this Volume is now in excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only.