Oh, Why Should the Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?
Boston; New York: Lee and Shepard; Charles T. Dillingham, 1877. Humphrey, L. B. First Edition. Hardcover. A Very Good or better copy of the first edition, first printing, bound in the Publisher's original purple cloth and wears in a good example of the dust jacket. The volume contains a noted Poem by William Knox which focuses on Mortality and which is said to have been Abraham Lincoln's favorite Poem. Of the Poem Lincoln once stated: "". Lincoln's own handwritten (by him) copy of the Poem is held by the Western Heritage Museum at the University of Oklahoma. So often did Lincoln recited the Poem from memory that many hearing him thought that it was his own Poem. Of the Poem, Lincoln (in 1846) himself stated: "I would give all I am worth and go into debt to be able to write so fine a piece as I think that is." Having been protected by the QUITE SCARCE DUST JACKET, the volume's binding is in Very Good or better condition, and, while showing some wear to the spine ends and leading board corners, remains in a bright and clean condition. The dust jacket itself shows wear and spotting and a gift note written in pencil to the front panel. The front flap, although detached, remains loosely laid in. Within, the front and rear end papers show moderate foxing. The tissue guard to the decorative half title page is heavily foxed (and a small piece from the tissue guard has been torn off) and such half-title page shows less, foxing. The title page and the text itself shows only minor foxing. The volume's spine is lettered and banded in gilt and the front board is attractively decorated in gilt and black and, in that it retains its dust jacket, it remains a REMARKABLE COPY. Very good + / good. Item #3407
Price: $350.00