Mystic Gleams from the Holy Grail. The Legend of Spiritual Chivalry, the Mystery of its Divine Origin, its Secret in the World of Faerie, and its High Initiation.
London: Rider & Co., ND [ 1949 ]. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 192pp. Deep green cloth with gilt lettering to spine. B&w frontispiece and illustrations by Christian Loring. A study of the grail Legends which views them not as "old-world fables to while away the time, but lines of spiritual guidance. They hold enshrined a teaching of the Way of Initiation." The author, Francis Rolt-Wheeler (1876 - 1960), was a British born Episcopal clergyman and occultist, who moved to the US in his youth where he gained recognition as the author of over 30 novels, including "The United States Service" series, and more sensationally, for allegedly trying to drive his then-wife Christine to suicide before she separated from him in 1915. By his early middle-age Rolt-Wheeler had begun to immerse himself in the study of the occult, editing and contributing to journals like "The Seer" etc. His sister, Ethel (1869 - 1958), was a well-known British poet, writer, suffragist, and Theosophist, who was for a while, a part of the same pre-First World War London bohemian circles as Aleister Crowley. Light bruising to spine ends, top edge darkened, pages lightly toned, pen notes on title page and scattered pen and pencil notes in the margins of the first half of the text, else clean. Overall a tight about VG copy in a Good + example of the scarce dramatically illustrated dust jacket. (the dust jacket is chafed and lightly chipped at all edges and and rubbed at folds. Not price-clipped. Now in removable mylar sleeve). Item #67934
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