London: Martin Secker, 1929. Hardcover. First Edition. DEDICATION COPY, inscribed “W. Sorley Brown from his friend Alfred Douglas.” The printed dedication page reads “To William Sorley Brown,” whose ownership stamp is present on the front pastedown. An ardent admirer and long-time friend of Douglas, Brown published a brief work titled The Genius of Lord Alfred Douglas in 1913 with the intention of highlighting Douglas’s poetical prowess at a time when most people knew him only for his scandalous affair with Oscar Wilde. Editor and owner of The Border Standard, Brown was known primarily for being a journalist. He is mentioned on page 268 and 292-3 of this book. Near fine condition in the original blue cloth with gilt title to spine and front board. This book has been expertly recased using the original cloth. Light rubbing to spine ends, hinges, and corners. Browning to a few pages where a bookmark was once laid in and light rubbing to pastedowns; otherwise, the interior is clean. Includes frontispiece photograph of Douglas. 340 pages plus index. LIT/020309. Near Fine. More

Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1856. Hardcover. INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Inscribed by Oliphant: “Royal Phelps from his sincere friend The Author London Febr 57.” Oliphant was a well known traveler, author, diplomat, and mystic who served as the private secretary to Lord Elgin in the mid 1800s among many other roles. Royal Phelps was a prominent New York merchant and trader in the West Indies. It is unclear where they might have met. This uncommon book is generally in very good condition in the original green cloth binding with faded gold title and gold stamped portrait on front cover. Neatly rebacked spine with most of the original spine intact; fading and spotting to front and rear covers; and bumping to corners. Interior is clean save for some foxing to illustrations and offsetting from them to facing pages, and light aging to page margins. Two nice foldout maps, five illustrations, and four woodcut vignettes. 234 pages plus 16 pages of ads. MIDEASTHIS/071508. Very Good. More

Providence: 1842. Hardcover. SCARCE. The first document is the text of the newly adopted state constitution, the state’s first. From 1663 until 1842, the state was governed under the original charter granted to it by King Charles II. After rancorous debate in 1841-1842 over universal suffrage, which included the brief Dorr rebellion, the Freeman’s Constitution was passed by the electorate. Both documents are in very good condition save for some occasional light foxing and aging to pages, and a 3 inch tear to the margin of the last page of the first one, not affecting the text. The second document is a discourse delivered in 1847 by Job Durfee, the Chief Justice of Rhode Island and a prominent figure in the state’s government and politics. In this discourse the Judge provides a proud history of the state and praises it “extravagantly.” Along with the discourse, the document appends a poem by Providence writer Sarah Helen Whitman that was recited to the Society before the Judge’s discourse. Whitman is now perhaps best known for having been romantically involved with Edgar Allan Poe during the couple of years before his death. Their relationship developed after having composed poems to each other. The two documents are bound in a very good red leather binding with gilt ruling along edges and gilt titles to front cover. The front hinge is cracked, and there are light ink marks along the gutter between the first and second documents. 24 pages; 42 pages plus 5 pages. AMHIST/072808. Very Good. More