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First impression of the first edition. Undated but published in 1928. With five of the original six black and white illustrations of the following women present: Mrs. Carlyle, Mrs. Gladstone, Mrs. Disraeli, Mrs. Tennyson, Lady Palmerston - Mrs. Arnold is missing! A collection of essays about the wives of several eminent Victorians, including Catherine Gladstone, Mary Ann Disraeli, and Emily Tennison, by the acerbic historian Phillip Guedalla.***Near fine in green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles and decoration to the spine and front board. Blind border also to the front board. The boards are clean and unmarked, and the gilt is still nice and bright, especially on the front board. Just sporadic fading to the green colour, and light fading to the spine colour. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Fore-edge of page block lightly foxed. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also near fine with two contemporaneous ownership names in fountain-pen ink to the front free endpaper: 'Nancy Broadbent, 1928', d.d M. Blaumis'. No serious creases or tears - just one top page corner creased. Light offsetting to the front and rear endpapers. Sporadic foxing to prelims and last few pages. Interior pages otherwise clean. No dustwrapper. ***204 pages. 230mm x 156mm. ***Contents: REAL: Jane Welsh Carlyle; Catherine Gladstone; Mary Arnold; Mary Anne Disraeli; Emily Tennyson; Emily Palmerston. IDEAL: Lady Muriel James; Sophia Swinburne; Julie de Goncourt. ***'The courtship had been odd: it was bound to be. For Miss Welsh was, in the noblest sense, a lady. Indeed, she was a lady in the ignobler sense as well; since her father was a doctor, and Welshes in their more boastful moments alluded to John Knox as an ancestor. Her mother's line aspired to even greater heights, since it claimed descent from Wallace. Besides, she did no housework, was a kind of heiress, and wrote verse. They called her the flower of Haddington. So Miss Welsh was, beyond all doubt, a lady. But Carlyle was, as the Duke of Wellington said of Napoleon, "emphatically NOT a gentleman." Efforts to trace his descent from a brother of the murdered Duncan were received with wild derision by this prickly flower of Anandale, who vastly preferred to feel his roots in the village street of Ecclefechan. In fine, he was a peasant.' (Quote taken from page 15, (Jane Welsh Carlyle). The book contains nine chapters (essays or 'albums') about the wives of nine eminent Victorians. ***Philip Guedalla, 12 Mar 1889 - 16 Dec 1944, was a barrister, politician, who served in the Royal Air Force, and an author who wrote historical and travel books and biographies. He is also known for his witty epigrams, such as: "History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other." and "Even reviewers read a Preface." (Wiki) ***First impression of the true first edition, in nice original condition (albeit with one plate missing). Of interest to academics and social historians of Victorian society, and in particular the role of women in higher society. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
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