Moon Lore.
London: Swan Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey, 1885. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. xvi + 296pp. Original bright blue decorated cloth with gilt designs and borders to upper cover, gilt titling to spine, beveled edges. B&w frontis and illustrations, notes, appendix and index. The first edition of this unusual work in which Tim Harley, who according to the title page was both a Reverend gentleman and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society takes a rather light-hearted look at the myths, legends and stories that exist relating to the moon. In four parts: the first, "Moon Spots," deals mainly with stories of the "man [woman, hare, toad etc.] in the moon; the second "Moon Worship" is self-explanatory, looking at the moon as a deity, etc; the third "Moon Superstitions" is similarly explanatory, as is indeedd the fourth, "Moon Inhabitation" addresses the question of whether or not the moon might be inhabited. The book ends with generous bibliographic notes, and an Index. In his Preface, the author writes of the book: "The first part is mythological and mirthsome. It is the original nucleus around which the other parts have gathered. Some years since, the writer was led to investigate the world-wide myth of the Man in the Moon, in its legendary and ludicrous aspects; and one study being a stepping-stone to another, the ball was enlarged as it rolled. The second part, dealing with moon-worship, is designed to show that anthropomorphism and sexuality have been the principal factors in that idolatry which in all ages has paid homage to the hosts of heaven, as heaved above the aspiring worshipper. ... The third part treats of lunar superstitions, many of which yet live in the vagaries which sour and shade our modern sweetness and light. The fourth and final part is a literary essay on lunar inhabitation, presenting in nuce the present state of the enigma of "the plurality of worlds." Light rubbing to cloth , a few small snags in the cloth joints, edges of boards and spine a bit darkened, spine ends & edges, and corners lightly bruised and rubbed. There is some glue residue - apparently indicative of an old repair - in the endpaper hinges, front and rear, which are also cracked but holding firmly. A bookplate and small old Weiser NYC bookshop label on the front pastedown, front endpapers a bit discoloured, pages lightly toned but clean and unmarked. Overall a tight, clean VG copy of an attractive and scarce volume. Item #69345
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