Steps to the Crown.
London: William Rider & Son, Ltd., ND [ Circa 1910 ]. First Edition - Second Issue. Hardcover. Small octavo. xvi + 220 pp (+ ivpp adverts). Original green textured cloth with gilt title to spine and blind stamped title and crown device to front board. One of the scarcer titles by A. E. Waite. It is basically a collection of aphorism and maxims - from different (mostly unattributed) sources - gathered together into four parts: The Fashions of this World; Thresholds of many Sanctuaries; Shadows of Secret Light and Consolations of the Greater Law. According to R. A. Gilbert most had been previously published in "Horlick's Magazine" of which Waite was the contributing editor in 1904 and part of 1905. The book was published by Philip Welby in 1906 but evidently did not sell well, and the sheets were passed to William Rider & Son, who reissued it under their imprint, with a cancel title-page, circa 1910. Florence Farr evidently felt highly enough of them, that she reprinted ten of the aphorisms in her "A Calendar of Philosophy" in that same year. Gilbert A20(b). Interestingly Gilbert notes two binding variants: one with the crown in gilt on the front cover, and the other with no crown at all. The binding on this volume, with the crown stamped in blind, appears to be an unrecorded variant. This copy from the library of British artist, writer and musician DAVID TIBET (founder of the music group Current 93) with his OWNERSHIP SIGNATURE on the front free endpaper. A fair amount of shelf wear. Light bumps and chafing to points and edges, some fraying and a few short splits to cloth of front hinge, spine rubbed and faded. Page edges darkened and thumbed, pages evenly toned, small ink annotation in an unknown hand to one of the internal blanks, and one short marginal tear. A little shaken. Overall a sound, G+ copy of a very scarce work by Waite, with interesting provenance. Item #68436
Sold