The Life of Louis Claude de Saint-Martin. The Unknown Philosopher and the Substance of His Transcendental Doctrine.
London: Rider & Co., ND (circa 1910). First Edition, Second Issue - Variant. Hardcover, large octavo, 464 pp. Original brick red cloth spine, with salmon colored paper boards. Paper title label on spine. An UNRECORDED and perhaps unique VARIANT. As explained by Dr. R. A. Gilbert the sheets of the book were originally printed for the publisher Redway in 1899, but with the failure of that firm they were sold to Redway's "articled pupil" Philip Sinclair Wellby, who published the first edition under his eponymous Wellby imprint in 1901 [Gilbert 15(a)]. Wellby too hit trouble, for a few years later he sold the remaining stocks to William Rider. Rider kept the binding style, but replaced the title label, had "Rider" instead of "Wellby" stamped at the bottom of the spine, and replaced the title-page with one with a new one with Rider's details. He released this - the second issue of the book - circa 1910, thereby creating the second issue [Gilbert A15(b)]. However, the present example is a previously unknown hybrid of the first and second issues: it retains the Wellby title-page of Gilbert 15(a) but has the binding details of Gilbert 15(b). Oddly the Wellby title-page itself appears to be a "cancel" and one wonders if Rider may have run out of their own title page, and reused the Wellby in a few copies, or if it was just an odd accident. A further Rider issue, with modest changes to the boards and title-page, but otherwise retaining the same sheets, was issued in 1916.
This copy from the library of Charles Muses (1919 – 2000), an American philosopher and author who wrote articles and books on various esoteric subjects, with Muses' small neat ownership stamp on front pastedown (first blank).
Louis Claude de Saint-Martin (1743 - 1803) was a soldier who became a mystic after studying magic and Kabala under Martinez de Pasquales. He travelled widely, including to England where he met English mystic William Law, and Strasbourg where he was introduced to the writings of Jacob Boehme. After his death he developed a following, included the influential occultists such as Papus. He also came to be regarded by the Theosophists as a great precursor. According to bibliographer R. A. Gilbert "Waite's comprehensive study is the only major work on Saint-Martin to be published in English. It earned for him a doctorate from the École Hermetique--a ... sign of the high esteem in which French Martinists, and especially Papus (Gérard Éncausse), their leader, held Waite's researches." The author, Arthur Edward Waite (1857 - 1942) who was an occultist, mystic, and prolific author. A member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, and the Theosophical Society, he joined the Order of the Golden dawn in 1891 and remained in it for over a dozen years before leaving and forming his Fellowship of the Rosy Cross. Aleister Crowley loved to make fun of him in Reviews in his "Equinox" series, although in a candid moment he wrote 'If it had not been for Waite I doubt if, humanly speaking, I should ever have got in touch with the Great Order.'
Paper title-label slightly darkened but 99% intact, the boards a bit darkened and rubbed, top corners gently bruised and rounded, bottom corners bumped. Base of spine bruised. As noted owner's name stamp onf front paste-down, pages evenly toned, otherwise internally tight, bright, and clean. A clean VG+ example of a possibly unique variant. Item #72990
Price: $650.00