The Poems of Master François Villon of Paris, Now First Done into English.
London: The Villon Society, 1892. Full morocco, 9 inches tall. A rather spectacular binding by Popelin with gilt raised bands and magnificent gilt tooling to the panels and boards, splendid dentelles and top edge gilt. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey, and with the leather bookplate of Rudolf August Witthaus. The book is solid and firm but there is a split to the top inch of leather on both boards. There is an ink inscription facing the half title. This copy is number 124 in a limited edition on hand-made paper. Privately printed 'for private circulation only' due to the scurrilous nature of Villon's verse. François Villion was a Parisian 15th century poet whose poems are sprinkled with mysteries and hidden jokes. They are peppered with the slang of the time and the underworld subculture in which he moved and are also replete with private jokes and full of the names of real people, rich men, royal officials, lawyers, prostitutes, and policemen, from medieval Paris.